Energy Flow Through Ecosystem

All energy comes on Earth comes from the Sun.

So how do we get our energy?

Ways of Getting Energy

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Producers
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Also called autotrophs

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Get energy from
nonliving sources

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Most capture energy
during photosynthesis
to make simple sugars

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Examples =

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Consumers
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Also called
heterotrophs

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Get their energy from
living or once-living
organisms

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Examples =

How Producers Get Their Energy

How Consumers Get Their Energy

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Consumers eat other organism to get energy

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Then they breakdown the macromolecules inside of them to release
ATP in a process called cellular respiration.

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4 Types of Consumers:
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Herbivores
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Eat only vegetation

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Carnivores
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Eat only meat

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Omnivore
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Eat meat and vegetation

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Detritivores (decomposers)
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Eat dead materials

Food Chains

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Food chains trace a single flow of energy and show trophic
levels = the levels of nourishment in a food chain

Rule of 10

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As energy flows from organism to organism, it is used for
metabolism and/or converted to heat

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Because of this, the next organism on the chain only receives
10 PERCENT of the energy obtained in the previous level
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The other 90% is used or “lost” as heat

Trophic Levels

Food Webs

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Shows multiple food chains at once, and how they interconnect.

Trophic Pyramids

= models that show how energy flows through an ecosystem

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Energy Pyramid: represents the energy available at each
trophic level; levels ALWAYS get smaller as you up the pyramid
(Remember the Rule of 10!)

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Numbers Pyramid: represents the number of organisms at
each trophic level; since energy decreases as you go up the
pyramid, fewer organisms can be supported

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Biomass Pyramid: represents the total mass of living organic
matter at each trophic level