Summary

This presentation covers the interconnectedness of organisms through food chains and food webs in an ecological context. It explains various trophic levels and the flow of energy from producers to consumers. Useful for understanding basic ecological concepts.

Full Transcript

Nutrition & Energy Flow Trophic Structure The interactions in a community of organisms depend on the feeding relationships between various populations. These feeding relationships make up the trophic structure of a community. Feeding Relationships Autotrophs (Producers) Make their own food ...

Nutrition & Energy Flow Trophic Structure The interactions in a community of organisms depend on the feeding relationships between various populations. These feeding relationships make up the trophic structure of a community. Feeding Relationships Autotrophs (Producers) Make their own food Photosynthesis Feeding Relationships  Heterotrophs (Consumers) Eat Autotrophs Herbivores Eat other Heterotrophs Carnivores Eat Both Omnivores Feeding Relationships Decomposers Absorb nutrients from dead organisms A Simple Food Chain Notice that arrows point to the next highest trophic level. Producer Primary Consumer Secondary Consumer Tertiary Consumer Food Chains Don’t Exist in Isolation! A Simple Food Web Matter & Energy move through an ecosystem by complex feeding relationships Food Web Network of food chains How do food chains and food webs differ? Single sequence of feeding relationships A Simple Food Web Describe a food chain that includes a mountain lion and a shrub. A Simple Food Web At which level of the food web is the supply of energy the greatest? A Simple Food Web All are Herbivores Which feeding relationship do first-order heterotrophs have in common? A Simple Food Web All are Carnivores Which feeding relationship do second-order heterotrophs have in common? A Simple Food Web Produce own food through photosynthesis Why are plants called autotrophs? A Simple Food Web What might happen if the mouse population was destroyed? Ecological Pyramids Depict mass and energy distributions in an ecosystem Ecological Pyramids What is the source of energy for all of these ecological pyramids? Ecological Pyramids What type of organism makes up the base of the Pyramid of Energy? Ecological Pyramids Why is only about 10% of the energy available at one trophic level transferred to the next higher trophic level? •Not all of the energy gets digested. •Some energy is lost in metabolism. •Much is lost as heat. How is energy loss from one trophic level to the next reflected in the pyramid of numbers? Higher levels have smaller # of larger organisms because there is less energy available. Ecological Pyramids Pyramid of Biomass shows the total dry weight of living materials at each trophic level. Ecological Pyramids

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