Energy Flow in Ecology

Front

What is a producer in an ecosystem?

Back

A producer is an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, typically plants and some bacteria.

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What is a primary consumer?

Back

A primary consumer is an organism that eats producers; they are usually herbivores.

Front

What is a secondary consumer?

Back

A secondary consumer is an organism that eats primary consumers; they can be carnivores or omnivores.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter into simpler substances, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Front

What is an herbivore?

Back

An herbivore is an organism that primarily eats plants.

Front

What is a carnivore?

Back

A carnivore is an organism that primarily eats other animals.

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What is an omnivore?

Back

An omnivore is an organism that eats both plants and animals.

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What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Front

What is energy flow in an ecosystem?

Back

Energy flow refers to the transfer of energy from one organism to another through food chains and food webs.