Eat or Be Eaten!Yellowstone is home to many different organisms. Each organism plays a vital role in the park's ecosystem. We will use the information below to make a food web which is a visual representation of the energy transfer of Yellowstone! Producers, shown at the bottom of the web, provide a food source for primary consumers, which will be shown on the second level. Secondary consumers consume primary consumers and secondary consumers are

consumed by tertiary consumers. The food web you will make is a very small and general representation of the Yellowstone ecosystem. Things can be much more complicated in the actual ecosystem. 

Producers

Some of Yellowstone’s most popular producers are wheatgrass, aspen, green algae, and willow. These organisms are autotrophs, meaning that they make their own food. These organisms serve to produce food for organisms higher on the food chain. 

Primary Consumers

Yellowstone National Park is home to a multitude of primary consumers. Primary consumers are organisms that get their energy from producers (autotrophs). They are considered the first heterotroph on the food chain. In Yellowstone the primary consumers include pronghorns, beavers, elk, bison,

cutthroat trout. These organisms are a very vital part of the food chain because they keep producer populations under control and provide a source of energy for secondary and tertiary consumers. 

Secondary Consumers 

The secondary consumers of Yellowstone include grizzly bears, coyotes, eagles, and ravens. Secondary consumers are organisms that get their most of their

energy from eating the primary consumers. These organisms are heterotrophs and mostly carnivores. Some may be omnivores, eating both producers and primary consumer. 

Tertiary Consumers

Tertiary consumers are organisms that feed primarily on secondary and primary consumers. These organisms are at the top of the food chain. The gray wolf is one of Yellowstone’s tertiary consumers.