ENERGY FLOW
Where does the energy for all living things ultimately come from?
The Sun
What is an ecosystem?
a community of living and nonliving things that interact in an environment
What direction do the arrows in a food chain point?
toward the organism receiving energy
What is a producer?
an organism that makes its own food using sunlight
What happens if all the producers in a food chain are removed?
the rest of the food chain collapses because no energy is available
How does energy transfer from plants to carnivores?
through a food chain starting with plants as producers
What would happen to an ecosystem if a key species went extinct?
it could disrupt the food web and harm other populations
What is an example of a primary consumer in a forest ecosystem?
a squirrel
What is the difference between a herbivore and a carnivore?
a herbivore eats plants, while a carnivore eats animals
How does the loss of decomposers affect an ecosystem?
dead material builds up, and nutrients aren’t recycled
Why would carnivores eventually go extinct without the Sun?
because plants, which are at the base of all food chains, cannot grow without sunlight
Why is it important to have a variety of plants and animals in an ecosystem?
biodiversity helps ecosystems stay healthy and balanced
What happens if there are no secondary consumers in a food chain?
primary consumers might overpopulate and damage producer populations
What is the main difference between producers and consumers in how they obtain energy?
producers make their own energy through photosynthesis, while consumers get energy by eating other organisms
Why do ecosystems with more diverse species tend to be healthier?
they are more resilient and can recover from disturbances
What role do producers play in an ecosystem?
organisms that convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis
How do humans impact ecosystems in both positive and negative ways?
by protecting wildlife habitats or causing pollution and deforestation
Why is a food web a better model than a food chain for understanding ecosystems?
because it shows how energy flows between multiple organisms in an ecosystem
Why are producers the most important part of a food chain?
they provide energy for all other organisms
How does pollution harm aquatic ecosystems?
it can kill organisms, disrupt food webs, and reduce biodiversity
Why do ecosystems with more producers have more energy available?
producers capture energy from the Sun, which fuels the entire food chain
How do abiotic factors (non-living parts of an ecosystem) affect ecosystems?
they help support living organisms
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
What is a food chain is a single pathway of energy flow, while a food web shows interconnected food chains
What do omnivores contribute to a food web?
they connect multiple food chains by eating both plants and animals
What happens if a non-native predator is introduced to an ecosystem?
it can reduce native species populations and disrupt food webs