Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Sun energy enters the ecosystem by photosynthesis. Photosysnthesis uses light energy from the sun, CO2, and H2O to make sugar molecules. Sugar is a carbohydrate, which is an energy-rich molecle which organisms use to carry out daily activities.
6 CO2 + 6H2O + solar energy -→ C6H12O6 + 6 O2
A producer is an oeganism that makes its own food.producer are also called consumers, orgnisms that get their energy by eating other organisms.consumers are also called heterotrphs, other-feeders.in the energy fro m the sun.
Some consumers get their food by breaking down organisms and are called decomposers. Bacteria and fungi are examples of decomposers.
|
Energy Source |
Example |
Producer plants |
Makes its own food through |
Grasses, ferns, cactuses, flowering |
Consumer |
Gets energy by eating producers or other consumers |
Mice, starfish, elephants, turtles, humans, and ants |
Cellular respiration is the proces of breaking down food to yield energy during cellular respiration. Cells absorb oxygen and use it to release energy from food.
C6H12O6 + 6O2----->6 CO2 + 6 H2O + energy
Food chain – is a sequence in which energy is transferd from one organism to the next as each organism eats another organism.
Food web – shows many feeding relationships that are possible in an ecoystem.
Trophic level – each step in the transfer of energy through a food chain or food web in an ecosystem.
The decreased amount of energy at each trophic level affects the organization of an ecosystem.
The carbon cycle is a process witch carbon is cycled between the atmosphere, land, water, and organisms. a process in which nitrogen is cycled between the atmosphere, bacteria, and other organisms is known as the nitrogen cycle.
Algal Booms – excess nitorogen and phosphorus in an aquatic ecosystem or nearby waterway that causes an excess growth of algae.
Ecological Succession – is a gradual process of change and replacement of the types of species in a community
Primary Succession – is a type of succession that occurs on a suface where no ecosystem existed before.
Secondary Succession – occurs on a surface where an ecosystem has previously existed.
Such plants are called pioneer species the first organisms to colonize any newly available area and begin the process of ecological seccession.
A climax community is a final and stable community.