Energy Flow

Energy

Energy is the ability to cause change

The ultimate source of the energy

for life on earth

is the SUN

How Organisms Obtain Energy

Energy Flow

• Flow means to move.• Energy flows from producer to consumer via

matter• Energy is transferred from one organism to

the next, however, a lot of energy is lost to the environment as heat.

Energy Flow

• Food chain - a model that shows how matter and energy moves through an ecosystem.

• Energy moves from producer to consumer to decomposer.

berries → mice → black bear

• Each organism in a food chain is a feeding step, or trophic level in the movement of matter and energy.

• -Only 10% of energy is passed up each trophic level!!!

• -Because so much energy is lost at each trophic level, there can only be 3-4 steps in a food chain.

Energy Flow

Pyramid of Energy

Heat

0.1% Consumers

1% Consumers

10% Consumers

100% Producers

decomposers feed at each

level.

Heat

Heat

Heat