Ecosystem Interactions and Energy Flow

The Law of conservation of energy states ...

• Energy needs to be conserved

• Energy is created and destroyed

• Energy cannot be created or destroyed

A web of interconnected biotic and abiotic components

• Food Chain

• Ecosystem

• Food Web

A carnivore eats

• Happy Meals

• Meat

• Plants

Detritivores eat

• Plants Only

• Meat Onlt

• Dead organic matter

A simple way to look at the transfer of food energy through an ecosystem in an ecosystem is

• through a trophic level

• through a Food Chain

• through a Food Web

Herbivores eat

• Everything

• only plants.

• only meat

Decomposer is responsible for

• eating all the meat.

• recycle nutrients in an ecosystem.

• eat only plants.

Trophic Levels represent ...

• level of students at VOHS.

• levels of nourishment in a food chain.

• level of largest plants

Models the complex network of feeding relationships

• trophic levels

• food webs

• food chains

What is Biomass?

• the total mass of organisms in a given area

• all the compost