ENERGY FLOW IN ECOSYSTEM

2. Ecosystems and Biomes

2.1 Energy Flow 2.1.1 Energy roles

Consumer Producers Decomposer

2.1.2 Food Chain and Food web 2.1.3 Energy Pyramids

2.2 Cycles of Matter 2.2.1 Water cycle 2.2.2 Carbon and oxygen cycles

.

Where does the energy come from?

Organisms and Energy

All the energy on Earth comes from the sun!!

Producers Organisms that use

the energy from the sun to produce their own food.

Ex: Plants, algae and some bacteria.

Photosynthesis

Consumers Organisms that obtains energy by feeding

on other organisms. 3-Types

1. Herbivores

2. Carnivores

3. Scavengers and decomposers

Herbivores Heterotrophs that

consume plants only.

Ex: cows, deer, rabbits…

(First order consumers)

Carnivores Heterotrophs that

consume other animals.

Ex: Humans, cats…

(Second… order consumers.)

Scavengers Feed on dead

organisms.

Ex: vultures

Decomposers Break down wastes

and dead organisms and return the raw materials to the ecosystem.

Ex: Bacteria and fungus

Are the decomposer nature´s recyclers?

While obtain energy for their own needs, decomposer return simple molecules to the environment. These molecules can be used again by other organisms.

How does energy flow through the ecosystem???

In ONE direction only

The movement of the energy through the ecosystem can be show in diagram called

food chain

Sun-Producers-Consumers-Decomposers- Released as heat

Sun-Producers-Consumers-Decomposers- Released as heat

Autotrophs

First-order heterotrophs

Third-order heterotrophs Second-order

heterotrophs

Decomposers

Food chain and Food web The energy enter as sunlight and converted

to food molecules by producer. After this energy is transfer to each

organism that eat a producer And to another organism that feed on these

consumers.

Food Chain DEFINITION: It´s a

series of events in which one organism eats another to get energy

The figure represent a simplest exchange of energy.

Videos http://www.youtube.

com/watch?v=rHFdl0PzFiE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBagx9Qhdx8&feature=relate

d

Food Web: Many interconnected and overlapping food chains

Food Web

FOOD WEB

Ecological Pyramids

Shows how energy flows through the ecosystem

Energy Pyramid Shows the amount of

energy that moves from one feeding level to another in a food web

Only 10% of the energy is passed onto the next level.

Energy Pyramid

The most energy is available at the producer level of the pyramid

As you move up the pyramid, each level has less energy available than the level below.

Cycles of the matter What is a cycle?

Is a series of things that repeat over and over again

What are some example of cycles?

Water cycle Oxygen cycle Carbon dioxide

cycle

Nutrients Nutrients cycle

through the ecosystem, never disappearing.

nutrients

nutrients

nutrients

Water Cycle 3 parts…

1. Evaporation

2. Condensation

3. Precipitation

Evaporation The process by which molecules of liquid

water absorb energy and change to a gas

From oceans, lakes, river. From living things: Leaves of trees, liquid

wastes and when you exhale.

Condensation This process by which a gas changes to a

liquid. When the gas rises the atmosphere , it cool

down and a little drop are formed. The water droplets collect around particles

of dust , eventually forming clouds.

Precipitation To more water condenses the drop grow

larger and heavy then fall back to earth as precipitation.

Over ocean and lake When fall in land may soak and become

groundwater.

Water Cycle

Carbon Cycle

Class work See the video and complete the worshhet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=U3SZKJVKRxQ

Carbon cycle

Oxygen Cycle

Oxygen and carbon cycle

These two elements are essential to the life on the earth

In ecosystems the process of carbon and oxygen cycles are linkedProducers, consumers, and decomposers play important roles in recycling carbon and oxygen.

Carbon cycle The cycle can start when producers take in

carbon dioxide gas from the air and release oxygen during photosynthesis.

They take the carbon and make food molecules such as sugar and starches to get energy

Carbon cycle When consumers eat producers, they take

in the carbon-containing food molecules to obtain energy.

The consumer break down the carbon compounds in a process called respiration in this time they release

Then carbon dioxide is cycled back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide

Oxygen cycle

The oxygen is found through the ecosystems Producers release oxygen in the

photosynthesis process. The organisms take the oxygen from air or

water and use it to carry out their life process.

Human Impact (Released CO2)

Industrial pollutions, when people burn oil or fuels.

Clear forests and burn Less trees – less absortion f CO2 from the

environment.