Flow Of Energy And Cycling Of Matter In Ecosystems Flashcards
Secondary consumers (third)
Eat plants or other producers
Primary consumers (second)
Plant eating/ feed directly on the organic matter
Producers (first)
Make organic matter from inorganic substances using energy of sunlight
Fourth / tertiary consumers
Eat predators
Trophic level
Feeding level
Food webs and food chains
Show the energy transfers of energy flow in an ecosystem by simply indicating who is specifically eats whom
Food chains
A one way transfer, arrows show the direction of flow of chemical energy from the eaten to the eater
Food web
The producer organisms in an ecosystem are usually shown at the base of a food web diagram. Arrows show the direction of flow of chemical energy in an ecosystem from the eaten to the eater
Ecological pyramids
Information about numbers of organisms at each trophic level and other aspects can be shown for an ecosystem
Pyramid if numbers
Shows the number of organisms at each trophic level per unit area of an ecosystem
Pyramid of biomass
Records the total dry organic matter of organisms (biomass) at each level in a given area of an ecosystem
Pyramid of energy
Amount of energy input to each trophic level in a given area of an ecosystem over an extended period
Biogeochemical cycles
Matter cycles through ecosystems. Cycling of three elements , carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus
