Energy flow through ecosystems (pgs. 208-212) Flashcards
DIAGRAMS ARE NOT INCLUDED (34 cards)
trophic levels
position or level in a food chain that describes the feeding or energy relationships at that level
autotrophs
organisms that make their own food
heterotrophs
organisms that cannot make their own food and have to find other sources of energy
primary consumers
animals that feed on plant material; herbivores
secondary consumers
carnivores that eat herbivores
tertiary consumers
carnivores that eat other carnivores
examples of producers
plants and algae
how do producers make their own food
use light energy from sun to produce their food from carbon dioxide and water
another name for producers
autotrophs
what does autotroph mean
‘self-feeder’
another term for consumers
heterotrophs
what does heterotroph mean
‘other feeder’
example of primary consumer
zebra (herbivores)
example of secondary consumer
lion
example of tertiary consumer
kill whale eats seal (carnivore eating carnivore)
what do decomposer do
break down the waste products and the bodies of dead organisms in a process called decomposition
what do decomposers live off
dead remains and waste products of other organisms
examples of main decomposers
bacteria and fungi, fly maggots (larvae), beetles
what does decomposition do
releases energy that was stored in bodies of dead organisms
another name for decomposers
saprotrophs because feed off dead organic matter
food chain
way to show the direction of energy flow from one trophic level to the next in an ecosystem. it shows a sequence of organisms in which each one east the one before it in the chain and is eaten by the one that comes after it
example simple food chain
grass -> zebra -> lion
what does a food chain start with
producer
what does a food chain end with
consumer or decomposer
