Energy Flow BASICS

Energy Flow

Trophic Levels

• Producers (base)

• Primary Consumers aka Herbivores (get energy from eating producers)

• Secondary Consumers aka Carnivores (get energy from eating herbivores)

• Tertiary Consumers (get energy from eating secondary consumers)

Producers

• aka Autotrophs

• Use Photosynthesis To Make Their OWN Energy

• Trophic Level 1

Multiple Choice

The first trophic level is

• Carnivore

• Producer

• Primary Consumer

• Herbivore

Multiple Choice

Which terms best describe autotrophs?

• Plants; producers
• Animals; producers
• Plants; consumers
• Animals; consumers

Multiple Choice

What is a lily pad?

• autotroph

• heterotroph

Multiple Choice

Where does the energy start in this food chain?

• Plant

• Sun

• Deer

• Wolf

Heterotrophs/ Consumers

• Can't generate their own energy, have to eat other living things!

• Herbivores, Carnivores, Scavengers, Decomposers

• Primary Consumers, Secondary Consumers, Tertiary Consumers

Multiple Choice

Which terms best describe heterotrophs?

• Plants; producers
• Animals; producers
• Plants; consumers
• Animals; consumers

Multiple Choice

What is a blob fish?

• autotoph

• heterotroph

• I think that's my science teacher!

Poll

Mark the terms you are comfortable with.

• Autotroph

• Heterotroph

• Producer

• Consumer

• Chocolate

Herbivores/Primary Consumers

• Eat producers/autotrophs to get their energy

• Obtain 10% of the energy from the producers consumed (rest lost to heat etc.)

• Trophic Level 2

Multiple Choice

Animal that gets its energy and nutrition from eating plants.

• Parasite

• Herbivore

• Carnivore

• Ominvore

Multiple Choice

Which type of consumer is always a primary consumer?

• Herbivore

• Omnivore

• Carnivore

• Producer

Multiple Choice

The efficiency (amount) of energy transfer from a lower trophic level to the next highest level is roughly

• 1%

• 10%

• 100%

• 1000%

Multiple Choice

How many primary consumers are there in this food web?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Secondary Consumer

• Eats herbivores

• Carnivore

• Omnivore (eat plants & animals - so can be secondary or primary depending on what it eats)

• Trophic Level 3

Multiple Choice

According to the image, what is the secondary consumer?

• plant

• insect

• mouse

• snake

Multiple Choice

Look carefully at the image. What trophic (energy) level is the secondary consumer?

• 1st

• 2nd

• 3rd

• 4th

Multiple Choice

What might happen initially if you remove a primary consumer from the ecosystem?

• There would be more food for secondary consumers.

• The number of primary consumers would increase.

• The number of plants would increase.

• The number of secondary consumers would increase.

Tertiary Consumer

• ANOTHER Carnivore

• Eats Secondary Consumers but can also eat Primary Consumers & Producers

Multiple Choice

An organism that eats the secondary consumer.

• Primary Consumer
• Secondary Consumer
• Tertiary Consumer
• Consumer

Multiple Choice

Part of a hydrothermal vent food web is represented in the diagram. Which organisms are both secondary and tertiary consumers in this food web?

• Zooplankton and mussels

• Chemosynthetic bacteria and amphipods

• Galatheid crabs and zoarcid fish

• Ratfish and octopuses

Omnivore

• Eats both autotrophs (plants) & heterotrophs (consumers)

• Can be primary, secondary or tertiary consumers depending upon what they eat!

Multiple Choice

__________ is an organism that eats BOTH plants and animals for energy.

• Omnivore

• Darnivore

• Carnivore

• Herbiovre

Poll

POLL: What kind of eater are you?!

• Plants (Autotrophs) Only - Herbivore

• Meat/Poultry/Etc (Heterotrophs). Only - Carnivore

• I only eat bacon - carnivoreous baconeous

• I eat plants (autotrophs) & heterotrophs - omnivore

Scavenger

• Mostly eats decaying organisms

• Consumers

• Depending on what is scavenged, can be a herbivore or carnivore

Multiple Choice

Carnivores that eat freshly dead organisms are

• herbivores
• decomposers
• omnivores
• scavengers

Decomposer

• Basically take whatever hasn't been scavenged & breaks it down into small pieces which become nutrients for the soil

Notice decomposers take whatever is left and leaves nutrients for soil & the circle continues!

Remember some decomposers are taking care of plants etc. so they hit all the levels!

Multiple Choice

These organisms break down decaying biotic wastes and then return the materials to the ecosystem.

• decomposers
• scavengers
• carnivores
• producers

Fast Forward Through Video
of Next Slide

If you are sensitive you can skip it, but it shows a partial decomposition of a mouse. Not required to watch.

Multiple Choice

What is this called?

• Food Web
• Food Chain
• Abiotic Factors

Multiple Choice

What does a food web represent?

• All connections of energy flow throughout all organisms in a habitat.
• The specific ways that mutualism is carried out.
• A single pathway or energy flow between organisms. 
• How carnivores get their food. 

Multiple Choice

Why might an organism have more than one arrow coming from them in a food web?

• More than one organism may eat them. 
• They may eat more than one other organism. 
• This organism gets its energy from multiple sources. 
• They have no resources available to them.

Multiple Choice

Which organism is the top predator in this food web?

• leopard seal
• killer whale
• elephant seal
• crabeater seal

Multiple Choice

Use the diagram to answer the question.
The Mayfly is a food source for which 3 organisms?

• Frog, Dragon Fly and snake
• Frog, trout and dragon fly
• Frog, salamander and trout
• Frog and phytoplankton

Multiple Choice

How many carnivores are show in this food web?

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

Multiple Choice

The food web shows interactions in a forest environment.

What statement about the interactions within the forest is correct?

• Carpenter ants are producers.

• Lichen are not producers.

• Voles do NOT get energy from owls.

• Black-tailed deers will NOT get energy from berries.