FOSS Living Systems Inv. 1 Part 2: Ecosystems and Energy Flow

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What is an ecosystem?

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An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microorganisms) interacting with their physical environment (soil, water, air) in a specific area.

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What are producers in an ecosystem?

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Producers are organisms that can make their own food through photosynthesis, such as plants and algae.

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What are consumers in an ecosystem?

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Consumers are organisms that cannot produce their own food and must eat other organisms for energy, including herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.

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What are decomposers?

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Decomposers are organisms, like fungi and bacteria, that break down dead material and waste, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

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What is energy flow in an ecosystem?

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

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What is a food chain?

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A food chain is a linear sequence that shows how energy and nutrients flow from one organism to another in an ecosystem.

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What is a food web?

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A food web is a complex network of feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem, showing how they are interconnected.

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Why is energy transfer in a food chain not 100% efficient?

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Energy transfer is not 100% efficient because some energy is lost as heat at each trophic level.

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What is a trophic level?

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A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web, such as producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers.

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What role do herbivores play in an ecosystem?

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Herbivores are primary consumers that eat plants (producers) and convert the energy stored in them into a form that can be used by higher trophic levels.