Energy Flow in Ecosystems

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What is energy flow in ecosystems?

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

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What is a producer?

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A producer is an organism that makes its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, such as plants and algae.

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What is a consumer?

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A consumer is an organism that eats other organisms to gain energy. Consumers can be herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores.

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What is a decomposer?

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A decomposer is an organism that breaks down dead organisms and organic waste, returning nutrients to the soil. Examples include fungi and bacteria.

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What happens to a population when a predator is removed?

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When a predator is removed, the population of its prey may increase due to reduced predation pressure.

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What is carrying capacity?

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Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support.

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What is a food chain?

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A food chain is a linear sequence that shows how energy and nutrients flow from one organism to another in an ecosystem.

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What is a food web?

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A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains that illustrates how energy flows through an ecosystem.

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What is the role of herbivores in an ecosystem?

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Herbivores are primary consumers that eat plants, transferring energy from producers to higher trophic levels.

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What is the difference between a primary consumer and a secondary consumer?

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A primary consumer eats producers (plants), while a secondary consumer eats primary consumers (herbivores).