Energy Transfer and Flow Notes
Energy Transfer and Flow
Energy Transfer
Producers (Autotrophs)
- Energy originates from the sun: E_{sun}
- Producers, also known as autotrophs, are organisms that generate energy-rich compounds, primarily glucose, through the process of photosynthesis.
- Examples:
- Plants
- Specific bacterial species
- Algae
Energy From the Sun
- Photosynthesis is the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into sugars (glucose) and oxygen (O_2) using sunlight energy.
- CO2 + H2O + {Sunlight} \rightarrow C6H{12}O6 + O2
Life Without Light
- Question: How can organisms thrive in deep-sea hydrothermal vents where sunlight is absent?
- Chemosynthesis: The process of utilizing chemical energy from carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and oxygen (O2) to synthesize carbohydrates.
Chemosynthesis
- Chemosynthetic bacteria prevent the oceans from becoming toxic.
- They create microbial mats.
- Grazers, including snails, limpets, and scale worms, consume these mats.
- Predators subsequently feed on these grazers.
Consumers (Heterotrophs)
- Consumers, or heterotrophs, are organisms that cannot produce their own food.
- They rely on other organisms for their energy and nutrient requirements.
- Consumers are categorized based on their food sources.
Types of Consumers
- Carnivores: Animals that kill and consume other animals.
- Examples: Snakes, tigers, coyotes, and hawks.
- Scavengers: Organisms that consume carcasses.
- Example: Turkey vultures.
Types of Consumers
- Herbivores: Organisms that consume plants.
- Examples: Cows, caterpillars, and deer.
- Omnivores: Organisms that consume both plants and animals.
- Examples: Humans, bears, and pigs.
Other Types of Consumers
- Decomposers: Organisms that chemically break down organic matter (dead plants and animals) and feed on it.
- Decomposers produce detritus, which consists of small pieces of decaying plant and animal remains.
- They play a vital role in nutrient cycling, returning nutrients to the soil, water, and air.
- Examples: Bacteria and fungi.
Other Types of Consumers
- Detritivores: Organisms that feed on detritus (dead organic material).
- Examples: Earthworms, mites, and snails.
Detritivores in Aquatic Food Webs
- Often referred to as "bottom-feeders."
- Examples:
- Crustaceans (crabs and lobsters).
- Echinoderms (sea stars and sea cucumbers).
Energy Flow
- Sunlight serves as the primary energy source for nearly all living organisms.
- Producers (plants) utilize sunlight to produce food.
- Consumers obtain energy by consuming other organisms.
- Herbivores (e.g., black-tailed prairie dogs) consume plants.
- Carnivores (e.g., coyotes) consume other animals.
- Scavengers (e.g., turkey vultures) consume leftovers.
- Decomposers (bacteria and fungi) break down dead organisms.
Food Chain
- Food Chain: A diagram illustrating the flow of energy from one organism to another.
- Primary producer (Algae) → Herbivore (Flagfish) → Carnivore (Largemouth bass) → Top Carnivore (Anhinga) → Apex predator (Alligator)
Food Web
- Food Web: A diagram depicting the feeding relationships between organisms within an ecosystem.
- A food web illustrates the transfer of energy within an ecosystem.
- Energy is transferred between organisms when one organism consumes another.
Food Chains Within Food Webs
- Each pathway within a food web represents a food chain.
- A food web connects all of the food chains within an ecosystem.
Food Chains example
- The example food web contains multiple food chains(at least 9 possible food chain).
- Examples of Food chains within:
- Grasses \rightarrow Grasshoppers \rightarrow Birds \rightarrow Foxes
- Carrots \rightarrow Rabbits \rightarrow Owls
- Grains \rightarrow Mice \rightarrow Owls
Keystone Species
- Keystone Species: A species whose population changes significantly alter the structure of a community and ecosystem.
- Examples: Sea otters, sharks, and elephants.
Why Sharks Matter
- Sharks are keystone species.
