Energy in Ecosystems

Niche▪ The specific role that an organism plays

in its ecosystem ▪ Roles and space that it performs in and

occupies in the ecosystem ▪ What it eats ▪ Who eats it

Niche

As you watch, highlight the niche of the Ladybug

The Sun

• Provides all the energy that sustains life

• 70% of the energy from the sun heats the surface of the planet

• about 30% is reflected back into space

• 0.023% is used to by plants

30% reflected back 70% Heating

44% heats atmosphere

26% drive water cycle

Plants

Energy Flow

10 % Biomass

Deer Wolf

100 Tons 10 Tons 1 Ton

10 % Biomass 90% Heat / body processes

90% Heat / body processes

Food Pyramids

1st trophic level Producers

2nd trophic level primary consumer

3rd trophic level Secondary Consumer

4th trophic level Tertiary consumer

Energy pyramid• In energy pyramids the

amount of energy decreases when traveling up the trophic levels

80 000 kJ

4 000 kJ

75 kJ

Biomass pyramid

• In biomass pyramids the amount of total mass decreases when traveling up the trophic levels

8000 kg

110 kg

30 kg

3 kg

Numbers pyramid

• In a numbers pyramids the number of individuals usually decreases when traveling up the trophic levels

• Exceptions occur when very small consumers are able to populate very large producers

2

20,000

40

1