Energy Flow Task Cards

Front

What is energy flow in an ecosystem?

Back

Energy flow in an ecosystem refers to the transfer of energy from one organism to another through food chains and food webs, starting from producers to consumers and decomposers.

Front

Define producers in an ecosystem.

Back

Producers are organisms, such as plants and algae, that can make their own food through photosynthesis, converting solar energy into chemical energy.

Front

What are consumers?

Back

Consumers are organisms that cannot produce their own food and rely on consuming other organisms (plants or animals) for energy.

Front

Explain the role of decomposers in energy flow.

Back

Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and completing the energy cycle in an ecosystem.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence that shows how energy and nutrients flow from one organism to another, starting with a producer and ending with a top predator.

Front

Define a food web.

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem, illustrating how different organisms are related through energy flow.

Front

What is the 10% rule in energy transfer?

Back

The 10% rule states that only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next level, while the rest is lost as heat.

Front

What are trophic levels?

Back

Trophic levels are the different stages in a food chain or food web, categorized as producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers.

Front

Explain the concept of biomass in an ecosystem.

Back

Biomass refers to the total mass of living matter in a given area, which decreases as you move up trophic levels due to energy loss.

Front

What is photosynthesis?

Back

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.