3.3 What happens to energy in ecosystems

Front

What is the flow of energy in an ecosystem?

Back

Energy flows from producers (plants) to consumers (herbivores and carnivores) and eventually to decomposers.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

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

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.

Front

What are producers in an ecosystem?

Back

Producers are organisms, like plants, that create their own food through photosynthesis.

Front

What are consumers in an ecosystem?

Back

Consumers are organisms that cannot produce their own food and rely on eating other organisms.

Front

What is the role of decomposers?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil.

Front

What is Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)?

Back

GPP is the total amount of energy captured by photosynthesis in a given area.

Front

What is Net Primary Productivity (NPP)?

Back

NPP is the amount of energy that remains after plants have used some for their own respiration; it represents the energy available to consumers.

Front

Which biome has the highest Net Primary Productivity?

Back

The tropical rain forest has the highest Net Primary Productivity due to abundant sunlight and rainfall.

Front

What type of energy do herbivores obtain from plants?

Back

Herbivores obtain chemical energy from the plant matter they consume.