FOOD WEBS

A food web is a map of interactions between all

the food chains in an ecosystem.
In reality, ecosystems involve multiple food
chains that interact with each other. Food webs
illustrate this.

Removing or adding organisms to a food web can

have large effects on the whole web.
When rats were introduced to the island of
Mauritius, they began eating the eggs of the
native Dodo bird. The Dodo soon died out.

FOOD CHAINS
A food chain represents
the transfer of
energy between organisms
in an ecosystem.

Each different stage of

the food chain is called
a trophic level. The trophic
level of an organism can be
measured
by counting how many

stages it is from the start

of the food chain.

The second organism in a

food chain is in the
second trophic level.

Energy in food chains refers

to the organic molecules that
are consumed by organisms.
The arrows represent
the direction of energy
transfer. They only flow in
one direction.

A food chain always starts

with a producer.
Producers are usually
green plants like trees.
Producers are eaten
by consumers .
The organism at the top
of a food chain is a top
predator (apex
predator). Top
predators such as lions
are rarely hunted.

PRODUCERS

ENERGY LEVEL

Producers (also known as

Materials

autotrophs) produce their own organic

food from inorganic matter.
Every food chain begins with a producer
that occupies the first trophic level.
Energy enters the rest of the food chain
through the organic molecules they
produce.

10 ml graduated cylinder; Cup filled with 100 ml of water;

Medicine dropper; Three small paper cups

The energy that is stored in the

producer is the maximum energy in the
food chain.
Green plants are the most common
producers. They use light energy from
the sun to make sugars using
photosynthesis.
In aquatic food chains, the producers
can be photosynthetic algae!

Activity
1. Label cup 1 ''first-level consumer," cup 2 ''second-level consumer,"
and cup 3 ''third-level consumer." The large cup filled with 100 ml of
water represents the producer. For this activity we will assume that the
producer possesses 100 units of energy.
2. A first-level consumer eats the producer and absorbs only 10 percent
of its energy. Use the graduated cylinder to pour 10ml of the
producer's water into cup 1.
3. The second-level consumer eats the first-level consumer and gets only
10 percent of its energy. Use the graduated cylinder to pour 1 ml of
water from cup 1 into cup 2.
4. The third-level consumer eats the second-level consumer and gets only
10 percent of its energy. Use the medicine dropper to transfer 0.1 ml of
water from cup 2 into cup 3.

Questions
1. If the food chain had continued to the next level, what percentage of
energy would the fourth-level consumer have received from the thirdlevel consumer? How much water would you have transferred into the
fourth-level consumer's cup?
2. Judging from this activity, why do you think most food chains never go
higher than second- or third-level consumers?

CONSUMERS
Consumers (also known
as heterotrophs)
must consume other
organisms to get
energy..
PRIMARY
CONSUMERS
eat producers.
They always
occupy the second
trophic level.
PRIMARY
CONSUMERS
are herbivores they eat plants.
Food chains show how energy moves through
an ecosystem, the combined physical and biological
elements in an environment. In a food
chain, producers, organisms that make their own food,
provide food for animals called first-level consumers.
These animals are then eaten by second-level
consumers, which may be consumed by third-level
consumers. Scientists estimate that only 10 percent of
the producers' energy is passed to the first-level
consumer.

SECONDARY
CONSUMERS
eat primary
consumers. They
are carnivores they eat other
animals.

An animal that eats

both meat and plants is
called an omnivore
A sparrow feeds on
seeds and insects.
This means it is both a
primary and
secondary consumer.

DECOMPOSERS
Some organisms dont make their own food
or eat living organisms. They feed on dead
plants, dead plant parts, and dead animals.
They also feed on animal wastes. Organisms
that get energy by feeding on dead materials
and wastes are called decomposers.

The last links in the chain are the

decomposers. Decomposers break
down nutrients in the dead "stuff"
and return it to the soil. The
producers can then use the
nutrients and elements once it's in
the soil. The decomposers complete
the system, returning essential
molecules to the producers.

Fungi and bacteria play an important role in

nature. They break down the unused dead
material and turn them into nutrients in the soil,
which plants use to grow. They are an important
part of the food chain.
Decomposers also keep an ecosystem from being overloaded with dead
organisms and wastes.

HABITAT
The specific Different kinds of
environment
organisms eat
that meets
different foods.
an
They live in
organisms different parts of
needs is
the habitat. They
known as its interact with their
environment in
HABITAT
different ways. All
of these are part
of an organisms
role in its habitat
A habitat can keep only a certain
number of organisms alive. The
habitat must have enough food
and water for all the animals to
survive.

All the populations

and nonliving things
interacting in an
environment form
an

ECOSYSTEM!

The role that an

organisms plays in
its habitat is called
its NICHE.

SPECIES POPULATIONS COMMUNITIES

Group of
organisms
that are
the same.

All the organisms

of the same
species that live in
the sample place
at the same time.

Populations that
live and interact in
the same place at
the same time.

Habitat vs. Niche

A red spotted newt's habitat is pond,
---its niche is carnivore.

BIOTIC
Living
Can be dead
Plants
Fungi
Acorns
Leaves
Algae

Lived before
Can be parts of living
things
Animals
Bacteria
Fur
trees

Which category would you put the following?

1. Batteries
2. Video Games
3. Patio Furniture
4. Clothes

ABIOTIC
Nonliving
Are not dead
Water
Minerals
Carbon dioxide
Soil
Lightening

Have never lived

Are not parts of living
things
Sunlight
Temperature
Air
Rocks
Landforms

Man-made items are not found in nature. They are

not ABIOTIC or BIOTIC because they are not found
in natural ecosystems. ABIOTIC and BIOTIC
factors have to be found in nature.