ENERGY FLOW IN ECOSYSTEMS

Energy Flow

The energy transfer from one organism to another in an ecosystem.

Food Chains

Models showing the flow of energy from plant to animal and between animals.

Food Web

Interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.

Food Pyramid

Illustrates the loss of energy between trophic levels in an ecosystem.

Producers

Organisms, like plants, that produce food.

Consumers

Organisms that eat plants and other organisms for energy.

Trophic Level

Each step in a food chain representing a different level of energy transfer.

Decomposition

The breakdown of organic wastes and dead organisms in an ecosystem.

Biodegradation

The process where living organisms carry out decomposition.

Detrivores

Organisms that obtain energy by consuming dead plants, animals, and waste.

Decomposers

Organisms that convert wastes and dead organisms into nutrients for reuse by plants and animals.