ecosystems food chains and webs. energy flow in ecosystems the greatest amount of energy is in the...
TRANSCRIPT
ENERGY FLOW IN ECOSYSTEMS
• The greatest amount of energy is in the bottom level- or the producers
• Producers are photosynthetic
PRODUCERS
• Photosynthetic
• Contain most of the energy in a food web
• Autotrophic-make their own food
PRIMARY CONSUMERS
• Eat producers
• Herbivores-eat plants only
• Heterotrophic-get energy from food source
• Often prey animals-hunted by predators
SECONDARY CONSUMER
• Often eats primary consumer and producer
• Omnivore- eats meat (insects are meat) and plants
• Heterotrophic
• Could also be a small
carnivore
TERTIARY CONSUMER
• Usually top of the food chain
• Carnivore- eats meat only
• Predator- hunts prey
• Has no natural predators
DECOMPOSERS
• Eat dead and decaying plant and animal matter and waste.
• Examples: Bacteria and Fungi
PREDATOR
• Organism that actively hunts prey.
• In the animal Kingdom, predators often have eyes on the front of their heads for better visual acuity.
PREY
• Organisms that are hunted by predators.
• In the animal kingdom, prey animals often have eyes on the sides of their heads for better peripheral vision.
PARASITISM
• Relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed.
• Examples: mosquitoes, ticks, tapeworms
FOOD WEBS
Interconnected organisms in an ecosystem.
The arrow is always pointing to the thing doing the eating!
VOCABULARY
• Producer Mutualism• Primary consumer Commensalism• Secondary consumer Parasitism• Tertiary consumer Predator• Herbivore Prey• Carnivore Scavenger• Omnivore Decomposer• Autotroph• Heterotroph• Symbiosis
Teacher Notes
• Begin with BrainPop- category: “Ecology and Behavior”, videos: “Ecosystems”, “Food Chains”, “Symbiosis”
• This vocabulary is heavily TAKS tested, so the students need lots of practice making connections between the terms.
• Have the students take notes on the power point, then have them define the vocabulary at the end.
• Have the students create a food chain and food web based on organisms from either a desert environment, a forest environment, or a marine environment. They must have a producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer.
Continued…..• Have students group organisms in categories of:
autotrophs, heterotrophs, consumers, producers, omnivores, herbivores, carnivores. Example:
• Carnivores are also: predators, consumers, heterotrophs.
• Autotrophs are also: producers, photosynthetic, bottom of the food chain.
• Have students turn in webs and classifications to their science teacher for extra credit!