Food Chains and Food Webs
Food chains represent the transfer of energy through organisms in an ecosystem or community. In every ecosystem, organisms are linked together by what they consume. Organisms depend on each other for nourishment to survive. In food chains, there are producers, consumers and decomposers.
Food webs contain many interconnected and overlapped food chains. It also has three main elements which are producers, consumers and decomposers as well.
Here's a food chain and food web of the coniferous forests:
As you can see on the left, the food chain shows the energy passed on in one path, starting from the grass. The grass is known as the producers of the food chain. The producers always begin the food chain, as they are the main source of energy that the organisms take from. Then it shows the organisms linked together, by what they consumer. At the top of the food chain, there is the tertiary consumer which is an organisms with no natural predators. On the right, there is a food web, which is basically lots of food chains combined together.
Producers, Consumers, Decomposers
Producers are organisms that can produce their own food from different sources of energy, such as light energy and chemical energy. Most producers use photosynthesis, but in few ecosystems, producers have to utilize chemical energy to sustain life. Producers that use light energy go through a process called photosynthesis, to make their own food. The photosynthesis cycle's main components are light, H2O (water) and CO2 (carbon dioxide). The cycle starts when there is a source of light that shines on the leaves of the plants. The chlorophyll absorbs the light energy, usually provided by the sun. What is chlorophyll you may ask? Chlorophyll is a photosynthetic pigment which is responsible for the absorption of light and to convert the light into energy in combination with carbon dioxide and water. So, when the light source shines on the chlorophyll, it absorbs the light and transfers the light into energy. The energy is just enough to support the process of making food for the plant itself. The energy gets passed on to the mesophyll cells, which are used to make food. Mesophyll cells contain green coloured components called chloroplast. Chloroplasts are the food producers in cells. The chloroplast stores the energy absorbed from the chlorophyll. Then the stored energy gets further utilized in the process of food manufacture. Simultaneously, water gets absorbed from the roots to the leaves, and carbon dioxide enters through the stomata on the leaves. Stomata are pores on the leaves of a plant, similar to human pores. Once the carbon dioxide and water arrive at the chloroplast, they combine together, using the energy that is stored in the chloroplast. The combining of carbon dioxide and water turns into glucose (starch). Glucose gives the entire plant energy to accomplish the process of photosynthesis. The excess glucose is stored and used as food by the plants during the harsh weather. Some glucose is converted into starch, which is stored inside the plant. As a by-product, plants give off oxygen from the process of photosynthesis. Very few producers utilize energy from chemical reactions to make their own food. These producers go through a process called chemosynthesis. Chemosynthesis uses energy from inorganic chemical reactions to produce their own food. Chemical reactions often occur between hydrogen sulfide/methane with oxygen. Carbon dioxide is the main source of carbon for these producers. Some examples of producers are coniferous trees, algae and grass. In conclusion, the producers are vital to the environment, since they are the only organisms that can convert light energy or chemical energy into a usable form energy for the organisms.
Consumers generally cannot produce the energy and organic nutrients that are necessary for life, therefore they get them from eating other organisms in order to get those materials. There are a few types of consumers, the primary consumers, secondary consumers and the tertiary consumers. The primary consumers are the organisms which eat plants and algae, which are also known as herbivores. The primary consumers eat the plants, which passes on energy stored in the plant. Primary consumers are also known as herbivores. Some primary consumers includes cows, horse, deer, panda, rabbits, butterflies. The next level is the secondary consumers. They are the organisms that consume the primary consumers as their diet. They are carnivores and omnivores, which means the organisms eat meat and/or plants. For instance, spiders and birds are carnivores in certain ecosystems. Lastly, there are the tertiary consumer, which are usually at the top of the chain. Tertiary consumers eats secondary consumers. Some tertiary consumers eat plants as well. There are other consumers, which are parasites, scavengers, and decomposers. Parasites are small organisms that live in or on bodies of other organisms taking the victim's nutrients and energy. Scavengers are organisms which eat carcasses of other dead animals. They break down organic matter and recycle it back to the ecosystem as nutrients. Decomposers do the exact same things as the scavengers, but scavengers break down large animals into smaller particles and decomposers break down those small particles into molecular level. All the consumers play an important role in the coniferous forest ecosystem, as they help keep the population of producers and primary consumers down.
Trophic Levels
Within an ecosystem, there are 4 different trophic levels consisting of primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers. Firstly, primary producers are organisms that obtain their energy from the sun. These organisms are also known as autotrophs. There are two main types of autotrophs, which are the photoautotroph and the chemoautotroph. Examples of these organisms would be grass, algae and almost all plant species. The second trophic level is called the primary consumers. These are organisms that obtain their energy by consuming primary producers. Some organisms that fall in this category are grasshoppers, deer, squirrels and all animals that are herbivores. The third trophic level is called secondary consumer. These animals are ones who prey on the primary consumers. Almost all organisms in this level are carnivores, including frogs, raccoons and snakes. The last level is called tertiary consumers. These are animals that obtain their energy from the secondary consumers. They are also known as top carnivores. Some examples are hawks, eagles and bears. In conclusion, there are four main trophic levels that most animals can be classified into, consisting of primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers.
However there are two other categories that organisms can fall under. These two categories are detrivores and decomposers. Detrivores are organisms that obtain their energy and nutrients by eating dead plants and animals, sometimes even animal waste. Some examples of these types of organisms are hawks, earthworms, bacteria and fungi. Decomposers are somewhat similar but they change wastes and dead organisms into nutrients that plants and animals can reuse. This process is usually carried out by bacteria and fungi. Something that is common between the two is that they both feed at every trophic level.
Energy Pyramid
A way to show the relationship between the different organisms in the ecosystem is called the energy pyramid. This is a model that shows the loss of energy from one trophic level to another. When an organism eats another organism, the energy stored in the prey moves into the predator. However, due to the large amount of energy needed to stay warm and carry out the chemical processes in the body of the animal, most of the energy obtained from the prey is used up, and only 10-20% remains. The energy used up can be as high as 80-90%. Therefore, the ecosystem will support fewer and fewer organisms as it moves up the trophic level because the animals at the top will need to eat more and more prey in order to survive.
Symbiotic Relationships
There are many symbiotic relationships which include, commensalism, mutualism, parasitism, competition, and predation. Commensalism describes the relationship of two species in which one species benefits and the other one is neither helped nor harmed. An example of commensalism are barnacles and whales. Often, you may see barnacles on the back and bellies of a whale. The barnacles live on the whale as their home. The barnacles benefit in this relationship as they get protection. If the barnacles are attached to stationary objects, their predators can eat them easily. Yet if they are attached to the whale, they have some protection from the mobility of the large whale. Another benefit that the barnacle has is that as filter feeders, they depend on the availability of plankton. When the whale swims through plankton-rich waters to feed, the barnacles do too. The barnacles have many benefits in this relationship, however the whale is not harmed at all. Mutualism describes the symbiotic relationship of two organisms which both benefit together. An example that clearly demonstrates this relationship is the flower and the bee. It almost seems like both organisms are helping each other survive, as the flower gives nutrients to the bee and the bee in return pollinates the flowers. The third relationship is parasitism. Parasitism is when one organism serves as the host, and the other organism, which is a parasite, harms the host. This is a relationship where one organism benefits and one is harmed. One example of this is the torsalo fly, which burrows its larvae inside a warm-blooded animal, perhaps a mosquito, and then lives as an internal parasite until it turns into an adult. Competition is a relationship where two organisms compete for a factor that is limited in supply. Both organisms in this relationship is affected negatively. This could be represented with different fishes competing for food and space inside an aquarium. The final relationship is predation. Predation is the relationship where the predator feeds on its prey. The predator is benefiting, while the prey is disadvantaged. For instance, predations is shown when wolves are eating a deer. Symbiotic relationships are important to organisms, since some organisms rely on the relationships to survive.
The Microorganisms in the Ecosystem
Within the coniferous forest, microorganisms exist everywhere, but are mostly found in soil. These microorganisms play an important role in sustaining the ecosystem. In numbers, there are way more microorganisms than actual living plants and animals. There are around 1 billion bacteria, 1 million fungi and around 100 nematodes. All of these microorganisms play an important role in recycling carbon, nitrogen and other essential nutrients. Also, they are vital to the soil’s structure and health. They are the ones who relocate and decompose organic materials so that the soil can have nutrients to sustain the many plants that strive on the forest floor. Even though these microorganisms are very small and cannot be seen by the naked eye, they still play a very important role in the health of the ecosystem.
Food chains represent the transfer of energy through organisms in an ecosystem or community. In every ecosystem, organisms are linked together by what they consume. Organisms depend on each other for nourishment to survive. In food chains, there are producers, consumers and decomposers.
Food webs contain many interconnected and overlapped food chains. It also has three main elements which are producers, consumers and decomposers as well.
Here's a food chain and food web of the coniferous forests:
As you can see on the left, the food chain shows the energy passed on in one path, starting from the grass. The grass is known as the producers of the food chain. The producers always begin the food chain, as they are the main source of energy that the organisms take from. Then it shows the organisms linked together, by what they consumer. At the top of the food chain, there is the tertiary consumer which is an organisms with no natural predators. On the right, there is a food web, which is basically lots of food chains combined together.
Producers, Consumers, Decomposers
Producers are organisms that can produce their own food from different sources of energy, such as light energy and chemical energy. Most producers use photosynthesis, but in few ecosystems, producers have to utilize chemical energy to sustain life. Producers that use light energy go through a process called photosynthesis, to make their own food. The photosynthesis cycle's main components are light, H2O (water) and CO2 (carbon dioxide). The cycle starts when there is a source of light that shines on the leaves of the plants. The chlorophyll absorbs the light energy, usually provided by the sun. What is chlorophyll you may ask? Chlorophyll is a photosynthetic pigment which is responsible for the absorption of light and to convert the light into energy in combination with carbon dioxide and water. So, when the light source shines on the chlorophyll, it absorbs the light and transfers the light into energy. The energy is just enough to support the process of making food for the plant itself. The energy gets passed on to the mesophyll cells, which are used to make food. Mesophyll cells contain green coloured components called chloroplast. Chloroplasts are the food producers in cells. The chloroplast stores the energy absorbed from the chlorophyll. Then the stored energy gets further utilized in the process of food manufacture. Simultaneously, water gets absorbed from the roots to the leaves, and carbon dioxide enters through the stomata on the leaves. Stomata are pores on the leaves of a plant, similar to human pores. Once the carbon dioxide and water arrive at the chloroplast, they combine together, using the energy that is stored in the chloroplast. The combining of carbon dioxide and water turns into glucose (starch). Glucose gives the entire plant energy to accomplish the process of photosynthesis. The excess glucose is stored and used as food by the plants during the harsh weather. Some glucose is converted into starch, which is stored inside the plant. As a by-product, plants give off oxygen from the process of photosynthesis. Very few producers utilize energy from chemical reactions to make their own food. These producers go through a process called chemosynthesis. Chemosynthesis uses energy from inorganic chemical reactions to produce their own food. Chemical reactions often occur between hydrogen sulfide/methane with oxygen. Carbon dioxide is the main source of carbon for these producers. Some examples of producers are coniferous trees, algae and grass. In conclusion, the producers are vital to the environment, since they are the only organisms that can convert light energy or chemical energy into a usable form energy for the organisms.
Consumers generally cannot produce the energy and organic nutrients that are necessary for life, therefore they get them from eating other organisms in order to get those materials. There are a few types of consumers, the primary consumers, secondary consumers and the tertiary consumers. The primary consumers are the organisms which eat plants and algae, which are also known as herbivores. The primary consumers eat the plants, which passes on energy stored in the plant. Primary consumers are also known as herbivores. Some primary consumers includes cows, horse, deer, panda, rabbits, butterflies. The next level is the secondary consumers. They are the organisms that consume the primary consumers as their diet. They are carnivores and omnivores, which means the organisms eat meat and/or plants. For instance, spiders and birds are carnivores in certain ecosystems. Lastly, there are the tertiary consumer, which are usually at the top of the chain. Tertiary consumers eats secondary consumers. Some tertiary consumers eat plants as well. There are other consumers, which are parasites, scavengers, and decomposers. Parasites are small organisms that live in or on bodies of other organisms taking the victim's nutrients and energy. Scavengers are organisms which eat carcasses of other dead animals. They break down organic matter and recycle it back to the ecosystem as nutrients. Decomposers do the exact same things as the scavengers, but scavengers break down large animals into smaller particles and decomposers break down those small particles into molecular level. All the consumers play an important role in the coniferous forest ecosystem, as they help keep the population of producers and primary consumers down.
Trophic Levels
Within an ecosystem, there are 4 different trophic levels consisting of primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers. Firstly, primary producers are organisms that obtain their energy from the sun. These organisms are also known as autotrophs. There are two main types of autotrophs, which are the photoautotroph and the chemoautotroph. Examples of these organisms would be grass, algae and almost all plant species. The second trophic level is called the primary consumers. These are organisms that obtain their energy by consuming primary producers. Some organisms that fall in this category are grasshoppers, deer, squirrels and all animals that are herbivores. The third trophic level is called secondary consumer. These animals are ones who prey on the primary consumers. Almost all organisms in this level are carnivores, including frogs, raccoons and snakes. The last level is called tertiary consumers. These are animals that obtain their energy from the secondary consumers. They are also known as top carnivores. Some examples are hawks, eagles and bears. In conclusion, there are four main trophic levels that most animals can be classified into, consisting of primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers.
However there are two other categories that organisms can fall under. These two categories are detrivores and decomposers. Detrivores are organisms that obtain their energy and nutrients by eating dead plants and animals, sometimes even animal waste. Some examples of these types of organisms are hawks, earthworms, bacteria and fungi. Decomposers are somewhat similar but they change wastes and dead organisms into nutrients that plants and animals can reuse. This process is usually carried out by bacteria and fungi. Something that is common between the two is that they both feed at every trophic level.
Energy Pyramid
A way to show the relationship between the different organisms in the ecosystem is called the energy pyramid. This is a model that shows the loss of energy from one trophic level to another. When an organism eats another organism, the energy stored in the prey moves into the predator. However, due to the large amount of energy needed to stay warm and carry out the chemical processes in the body of the animal, most of the energy obtained from the prey is used up, and only 10-20% remains. The energy used up can be as high as 80-90%. Therefore, the ecosystem will support fewer and fewer organisms as it moves up the trophic level because the animals at the top will need to eat more and more prey in order to survive.
Symbiotic Relationships
There are many symbiotic relationships which include, commensalism, mutualism, parasitism, competition, and predation. Commensalism describes the relationship of two species in which one species benefits and the other one is neither helped nor harmed. An example of commensalism are barnacles and whales. Often, you may see barnacles on the back and bellies of a whale. The barnacles live on the whale as their home. The barnacles benefit in this relationship as they get protection. If the barnacles are attached to stationary objects, their predators can eat them easily. Yet if they are attached to the whale, they have some protection from the mobility of the large whale. Another benefit that the barnacle has is that as filter feeders, they depend on the availability of plankton. When the whale swims through plankton-rich waters to feed, the barnacles do too. The barnacles have many benefits in this relationship, however the whale is not harmed at all. Mutualism describes the symbiotic relationship of two organisms which both benefit together. An example that clearly demonstrates this relationship is the flower and the bee. It almost seems like both organisms are helping each other survive, as the flower gives nutrients to the bee and the bee in return pollinates the flowers. The third relationship is parasitism. Parasitism is when one organism serves as the host, and the other organism, which is a parasite, harms the host. This is a relationship where one organism benefits and one is harmed. One example of this is the torsalo fly, which burrows its larvae inside a warm-blooded animal, perhaps a mosquito, and then lives as an internal parasite until it turns into an adult. Competition is a relationship where two organisms compete for a factor that is limited in supply. Both organisms in this relationship is affected negatively. This could be represented with different fishes competing for food and space inside an aquarium. The final relationship is predation. Predation is the relationship where the predator feeds on its prey. The predator is benefiting, while the prey is disadvantaged. For instance, predations is shown when wolves are eating a deer. Symbiotic relationships are important to organisms, since some organisms rely on the relationships to survive.
The Microorganisms in the Ecosystem
Within the coniferous forest, microorganisms exist everywhere, but are mostly found in soil. These microorganisms play an important role in sustaining the ecosystem. In numbers, there are way more microorganisms than actual living plants and animals. There are around 1 billion bacteria, 1 million fungi and around 100 nematodes. All of these microorganisms play an important role in recycling carbon, nitrogen and other essential nutrients. Also, they are vital to the soil’s structure and health. They are the ones who relocate and decompose organic materials so that the soil can have nutrients to sustain the many plants that strive on the forest floor. Even though these microorganisms are very small and cannot be seen by the naked eye, they still play a very important role in the health of the ecosystem.