Energy Flow Flashcards
How do producers gain carbohydrates?
They convert radiant energy from the sun into chemical energy through photosynthesis
How do primary consumers gain energy?
From the plants (producers) that they eat
How do secondary consumers gain energy?
By eating the primary consumers
How do tertiary consumers gain their energy?
By consuming the secondary consumers
How is energy released back into the environment?
The consumers and producers die
They are decomposed by the decomposers
The organic compounds in the organisms are broken down and released back into the environment
What is a food chain?
The transfer of energy from the sun through green plants and the various consumers
How does a food chain start?
With the producers
What does a food chain end with?
The decomposers
Where do the consumers fit in in a food chain?
In the middle
What do the arrows in a food chain indicate?
The flow of energy
Why isn’t a food chain always accurate?
Many animals have multiple food sources or are consumed by multiple predators
I.e a food chain never occurs in isolation
What is a more accurate representation of energy flow in an ecosystem?
A food web
What is a food web?
Similar to a food chain, but with all of the various consumers interlinked
