How producers and consumers are connected!

1
How producers and consumers are connected!
RADIANT ENERGY

• obtaining ENERGY

CHEMICAL ENERGY
MECHANICAL ENERGY ANDTHERMAL ENERGY
2
Energy Pyramid(Another way to look at a food
chain)
3
Energy Pyramid(Another way to look at a food
chain)
Energy decreases as you move through a food
chain/up an energy pyramid. Why does the amount
of energy decrease? Each species in the food
chain/ pyramid uses most of the energy it
receives for growth, movement or to create body
heat. This means the energy is 'lost' (not
available to be passed on to the next species
up.) The species at the top of the pyramid/ food
chain only receives a fraction of the energy that
started at the bottom of the food chain.
4
Energy Pyramid(10 PERCENT RULE)

• ONLY 10 PERCENT OF THE ENERGY OF THAT LEVEL IS
  AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT LEVEL UP!

5
Energy Pyramid(90 PERCENT LOST AS HEAT)

• 90 PERCENT OF THE ENERGY OF THAT LEVEL IS USED
  FOR THE ORGANISM TO LIVE AND RELEASED AS HEAT!

6
Energy Pyramid(Another way to look at a food
chain)
Why are energy pyramids shaped the way they are?
An energy pyramids shape shows how the amount
of useful energy that enters each level
chemical energy in the form of food decreases
as it is used by the organisms in that level. How
does this happen? Recall that cell respiration
burns food to release its energy, and in doing
so, produces ATP, which carries some of the
energy as well as heat, which carries the rest.
ATP is then used to fuel countless life processes
(ex. moving, thinking). The consequence is that
even though a lot of energy may be taken in at
any level, the energy that ends up being stored
there which is the food available to the next
level is far less. Scientists have calculated
that an average of 90 of the energy entering
each step of the food chain is lost this way
(although the total amount in the system remains
unchanged). The consumers at the top of a food
pyramid, as a group, thus have much less energy
available to support them than those closer to
the bottom. Thats why their numbers are
relatively few in most communities. Eventually,
the amount of useful energy left cant support
another level. Thats why energy flow is depicted
in the shape of a pyramid. The energy that enters
a community is ultimately lost to the living
world as HEAT. We say 10 percent is available for
the next level up.