The Energy Flow in an

Ecosystem
Reported by: John Russell Morales

I Trophic Levels
- It is used to
locate the
position or level
of an organism
during its
energy-seeking
activities.

Four Major Trophic Levels

Primary
Producers
(plants, algae,
cyanobacteria)
- Refers to

photosynthetic
organisms that
get their energy
from the sun to
make their own
food during

 Primary
Consumers
(herbivores)

- are organisms
that eat
autotrophs or
primary
producers.
Secondary
Consumers
(carnivores)

 Tertiary Consumers
(detrivores)

- Referred to as carnivores
that feeds on secondary
consumers.
*Omnivores are those animals
who eats both plants and
animals.

II Food Chains
The path of food from a given final
consumer back to a producer.
Grazer Food chains

(plant-bird-snake
chain) includes any herbivore that grazes on or
consumes plants and is, in turn, usually eaten by a
carnivore.

Detritus Food Chain

(Earthworms,
beetles, centipedes termites.) The food sources
for the decomposer organisms come from both
plant and animal wastes. Ex. Dead leaves and
intestinal wastes

Food Web
Are
interconnected
food chains.
They show the
feeding
relationships in
an ecosystem.
*Decomposers are
the final
consumers of a

III Pyramids of Energy and

Biomass
The amount of
energy in the
ecosystem is
shown in a
form of
Pyramid of
Energy.

Energy Pyramid
shows..
That the amount of
available energy
decreases down the
food chain.
It takes a large
number of producers
to support a small
number of primary
consumers.
It takes a large
number of primary
consumers to support

Biomass

Factoid 263
A food web is a series of overlapping food
chains.

Factoid 264
The trophic level is a feeding level. Every
step of a food chain is a trophic level.

Factoid 265
An energy pyramid shows the energy that
is transferred between trophic levels.

Factoid 266
Only about 10% of the energy at each
level is transferred to the next higher level.
The rest is used by the organism itself
and some is lost as heat.

Factoid 267
Since only 10% of energy is transferred
from one level to another, a food chain
usually only has 4 or 5 trophic levels.

Factoid 268
Biomass is the mass of dry organic
materials in an organism.

Factoid 269
A biomass pyramid indicates the amount
of organic material at a given trophic level.
Typically producers have the largest
biomass.

Factoid 270
A pyramid of numbers shows the
approximate number of individual
organisms at each level that an
ecosystem can support.

Factoid 271
The biosphere is all living things on the
planet. The biosphere is divided into
biomes.

Factoid 272
Since matter can not be created or
destroyed according to the Law of
Conservation of Mass, it must be recycled
in the environment.

Factoid 273
The Water Cycle

Factoid 274
Transpiration is the evaporation of water
through the plant.

Factoid 275
The Carbon-Oxygen Cycle

Factoid 276
The Nitrogen Cycle

Factoid 277
Nitrogen fixation is accomplished by
bacteria and lightning.
Denitrification is accomplished by bacteria.

Factoid 278
The Phosphorus Cycle