Energy Flow Section 3-2

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Energy FlowSection 3-2

• Objectives
• Trace the flow of energy as it decreases through
  the trophic levels from producers to the
  quaternary level.
• Contrasting autotrophs and heterotrophs
• Describing the niche of decomposers

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Producers

• Definition????
• What is the main source of energy for life on
  Earth?
• What about organisms at the bottom of the ocean,
  where sunlight doesnt reach?
• These organisms rely on energy stored in
  inorganic chemical compounds (i.e., salts).

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Producers, continued

• Producers are also called autotrophs.
• auto ?
• troph ?
• Some producers capture the energy from sunlight
  through a process called _________________.
• Photosynthesis uses light to convert ____________
  and _____________ to ____________ and
  ______________.

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Producers, continued

• Photosynthesis
• photo ?
• synthesis ?
• Chemosynthesis
• chemo ?
• synthesis ?

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Photosynthesis vs. Chemosynthesis

• Photosynthesis
• 6CO2 6H2O ? C6H12O6 6O2
• Carbon dioxide water yields carbohydrates
  (glucose) and oxygen, in the presence of
  sunlight.
• Chemosynthesis
• Hydrogen sulfide and oxygen combine to form
  sulfur compounds, which are then used with carbon
  dioxide to make carbohydrates.
• What do sulfur compounds smell like?

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Consumers

• What are they??
• AKA, heterotrophs
• hetero ?
• troph
• Types of heterotrophs (consumers)
• Herbivores
• Carnivores
• Omnivores
• Detritivores
• Decomposers

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Feeding Relationships

• Where does the energy flow begin in an ecosystem?
• ANSWER sunlight or inorganic chemical compounds
• Then it flows in one direction, from producers to
  various levels of consumers (heterotrophs).

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Food Chains

• Def a series of steps by which organisms
  transfer energy by eating or being eaten.

http//ejad.best.vwh.net/java/population/facts_foo
dchain.html
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Food Webs

• Def a network of complex interactions of all the
  food chains in an ecosystem.

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Trophic Levels

1. Producers
2. Primary consumers (herbivores)
3. Secondary consumers (carnivores which eat
   herbivores)
4. Tertiary consumers (carnivores which eat other
   carnivores)
5. Apex predators carnivores which have no
   predators

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Ecological Pyramids