: Biotic components and their relationship with food chains:

Biotic components:

Biotic components are the living things that shape an ecosystem.

Every living thing needs energy. Energy in an ecosystem passes from one organism to

another. The basic source of energy on earth is Sunlight.

Following are the types of organisms in our ecosystem:

1. Producers.

2. Consumers.

3. Decomposers.

1. Producers :Producers can use sunlight to get energy and make their food through a process called

photosynthesis. (E.g. plants)

2. Consumers: They have to eat producers or other consumers to get their energy. There are three

types of consumers which are as follow:

a. Herbivores : They can eat plants only. (E.g. Cow, Grasshopper etc.)

b. Carnivore s: They can eat Animals only or herbivores. (E.g. Lion, Owl etc.)

c. Omnivores: An animal or person that eats both plant and animals. (E.g.

Humans, Bears, Chickens etc.)

3. Decomposers: They can get their energy from eating dead consumers and producers. (Bacteria’s)

Food chain:

The feeding relationship among organisms is called Food chain.

Most of food chains starts with producers like:

Trophic level:

A particular position occupied by a group of organisms in a food chain (primary producer,

primary consumer, secondary consumer, or tertiary consumer)

Green plants are producers so they are the first in most food chains. Animals that feeds on

plants are second or they are called primary consumers. Animals that eats primary consumers

are called secondary consumers .Animals that eats secondary consumers are known as

tertiary consumers.

Example of food chain:

Arrows are used to show where the energy is going.

Food web:

Food web shows many ways energy moves. A food web is made up of many different food

chains.

Energy pyramid:

An energy pyramid is a graphical model of energy flow in a community. The different levels

represent different groups of organisms that might compose a food chain. From the bottom-

up, they are as follows:

Producers — bring energy from non-living sources into the community

Primary consumers — eat the producers, which makes them herbivores in most

communities

Secondary consumers — eat the primary consumers, which makes them carnivores

Tertiary consumers — eat the secondary consumer

An energy pyramid’s shape shows how the amount of useful energy that enters each level in

the form of food — decreases as it is used by the organisms in that level.

Energy moves through an ecosystem from the sun, to plants, to smaller animals, to bigger

animals, to the biggest animals. Each animal uses most of its energy and passes on only a

small amount. Producers are at the bottom level of pyramid and contains most energy as we

go up it is narrower less energy and fewer living things.

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