Energy Flow Through

an Ecosystem
Food Chains, Food Webs, Energy
Pyramids

BIO.B.4.2.1 Describe how energy flows through an

ecosystem (e.g. food chains, food webs, energy pyramids)
 Energy flow in all
ecosystems begins with
the SUN
The solar energy is
used to fuel the process
of photosynthesis

6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight & chlorophyll

C6H12O6 + 6O2
 The chemical reaction by which green plants use water
and carbon dioxide and light from the sun to make
glucose.
ENERGY is stored in glucose; glucose is stored as
starch.
Organisms that can make
glucose during
photosynthesis are called
PRODUCERS or
AUTOTROPHS.
Producers use most of the
energy they make for
themselves.
 Producers use cellular
respiration to supply the energy
they need to live.
6O2 + C6H12O6 --> 6H2O + 6CO2 + energy

CELLULAR RESPIRATION is the

chemical reaction that releases the
energy in glucose.
The energy that is not used by
producers can be passed on to
organisms that cannot make
their own energy.
Self-Sustained Ecosystems
Organisms that cannot make their
own energy are called
CONSUMERS or
HETEROTROPHS.
 Types of Heterotrophs
Saprophytes: plants, fungi and bacteria which live on
dead matter (AKA = decomposers).
Herbivores : plant-eating animals
Carnivores: meat-eating animals
Types of Carnivores
Predators animals which kill and consume
their prey
Scavengers those animals that feed on
other animals that they have NOT killed.
Omnivores: plant AND meat eaters
 Trophic Levels
Trophic Levels = locations within a food chain:
Primary producers: photosynthetic organisms (plants, algae, some bacteria)
Primary consumers: consume primary producers
Secondary consumers: consume primary consumers
Tertiary consumers: consume secondary consumers

Energy flows through ecosystems in one direction, typically from the sun, through photosynthetic
organisms, including green plants and algae, through herbivores, to carnivores and finally
decomposers.

SUN PHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISMS HERBIVORES

CARNIVORES DECOMPOSERS
 Trophic Level Nutrition
Autotrophic nutrition Photosynthesis (from CO2 & H2O)
Heterotrophic nutrition Respiration (from eating food)
 Most of the energy passed from
one consumer to the next is used
by the consumer.
Some of the energy is lost and
moves into the atmosphere as
heat.
 Some energy is stored
and can be passed on to
another consumer.
 Food Chains and Food Webs
If an ecosystem is to be self-sustaining it
must contain a flow of energy.
The pathways of energy through the living
components of an ecosystem are
represented by food chains and food webs.
Producers initiate the flow of energy by
converting solar energy (sunlight) into the
chemical energy (ATP) from food.
 A food chain involves the transfer
of energy from green plants
through a series of organisms with
repeated stages of eating and
being eaten.
Food Webs:
A group of
interconnected food
chains
They show the
feeding relationships
in an ecosystem
Energy Transfer Is Also Modeled
Through Pyramids
Energy Pyramids indicates the amount of energy
transferred to each trophic level
Biomass Pyramids indicates the total mass for all
species at each trophic level
Pyramid of Numbers indicates the number of
organisms at each level
Energy Pyramids
An Energy Pyramid is a diagram that shows
the relative amounts of energy or matter
contained within each trophic level in a food
web or food chain.
Energy Pyramid only 10% of the energy
available within one trophic level is transferred
to organisms at the next trophic level.
There is much more energy in the producer
level of a food chain than at the consumer
levels.
Energy input usually = SUN.
Only 10% of the energy from the sun is
captured by producers.
Only 10% of the energy available in producers
is transferred to consumers