How Does Energy move in living system?
How does a food chain model energy flow? Energy moves from the
Sun to a plant, a mouse, a snake, and a hawk in this food chain. Unlike matter, energy does not cycle through ecosystems because it does not return to the Sun. Instead, energy flows through ecosystems Organisms use some energy for life processes. In addition, organisms store some energy in their bodies as chemical energy. When consumers eat these organisms, this chemical energy moves into the bodies of consumers. However, with each transfer of energy from organism to organism, some energy changes to thermal energy. The bodies of consumers emit excess thermal energy, which then enters the environment. Scientists use models to study this flow of energy through an ecosystem. They use different models depending on how many organisms they are studying. Food Chains A food chain is a model that shows how energy flows in an ecosystem through feeding relationships. In a food chain, arrows show the transfer of energy. Notice that there are not many links in this food chain. That is because the amount of available energy decreases every time it is transferred from one organism to another . |
What models show the transfer of energy in an ecosystem?
Food Webs!
A food web shows the complex feeding relationships among organisms in an
ecosystem.
Imagine you have a jigsaw puzzle of a tropical rain forest. Each piece of the
puzzle shows only one small part of the forest. A food chain is like one piece
of an ecosystem jigsaw puzzle. It is helpful when studying certain parts of an
ecosystem, but it does not show the whole picture.
In the food chain above, the mouse might also eat the seeds of several producers,
such as corn, berries, or grass. The snake might eat other organisms such as
frogs, crickets,lizards, or earthworms too.
The hawk hunts mice, squirrels, rabbits, and fish, as well as snakes.
Scientists use a model of energy transfer called a food web to show
how food chains in a community are interconnected.
You can think of a food web as many overlapping food chains.
Like in a food chain, arrows show how energy flows in a food web.
Some organisms in the food web might be part of
more than one food chain in that web.
Food Webs!
A food web shows the complex feeding relationships among organisms in an
ecosystem.
Imagine you have a jigsaw puzzle of a tropical rain forest. Each piece of the
puzzle shows only one small part of the forest. A food chain is like one piece
of an ecosystem jigsaw puzzle. It is helpful when studying certain parts of an
ecosystem, but it does not show the whole picture.
In the food chain above, the mouse might also eat the seeds of several producers,
such as corn, berries, or grass. The snake might eat other organisms such as
frogs, crickets,lizards, or earthworms too.
The hawk hunts mice, squirrels, rabbits, and fish, as well as snakes.
Scientists use a model of energy transfer called a food web to show
how food chains in a community are interconnected.
You can think of a food web as many overlapping food chains.
Like in a food chain, arrows show how energy flows in a food web.
Some organisms in the food web might be part of
more than one food chain in that web.
What happens to the energy in an ecosystem?
An energy pyramid shows the amount of energy available at each
trophic level. Food chains and food webs show how energy moves in an
ecosystem. However, they do not show how the amount of energy
in an ecosystem changes.
Scientists use a model called an energy pyramid to show the amount of
energy available in each step of a food chain.
The steps of an energy pyramid are also called
trophic (trofic) levels. Producers, such as plants, make up the
trophic level at the bottom of the pyramid.
Consumers that eat producers, such as squirrels,
make up the next trophic level.
Consumers such as hawks that eat other consumers make up the highest trophic level.
Notice that less energy is available for consumers at each higher trophic
level. As you read earlier, organisms use some of the energy they get from food for life processes.
During life processes, some energy is changed to thermal energy and is transferred to the environment
The 10 % Rule
Only about 10 percent of the energy available at one trophic level
transfers on to the next trophic level. Organisms use the energy for life processes, i.e. chasing prey, running from predators, reproducing, having offspring, building homes...living:)
Only about 10 percent of the energy available at one trophic level
transfers on to the next trophic level. Organisms use the energy for life processes, i.e. chasing prey, running from predators, reproducing, having offspring, building homes...living:)
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Food Chain Game Simple Food Web Interactive Video Interactive Food Web Interactive Time for a snack?
Food Web Game (Flash needed)
Food Chain Game Simple Food Web Interactive Video Interactive Food Web Interactive Time for a snack?
Food Web Game (Flash needed)