Food Chains and Food Webs

I. Autotrophs: Any organism that can make their own food.

a. Photosynthesisb. Chemosynthesis

Examples: algae, trees, grass, shrubs, blue-green bacteria

II. Primary consumer: Also known as a herbivore. It is an animal that eats the producers.

It is also a type of Heterotroph

Examples:Mice, grasshoppers, rabbits, squirrelsZooplankton, aquatic invertebrates,

water bugs

III. Secondary Consumer: Can be either a carnivore or an omnivore,

which eats both plants and animals.Examples: Armadillo, birds

IV. Tertiary consumers: Are at the top of the food chain (or web).

Examples: Birds of prey (hawks), wolves, bears, sharks, humans

V. Decomposers: Help to break down dead matter so that the nutrients can be returned to the soil.

Examples: fungi, bacteria, worms, maggots

Trophic Levels: Represent each step in a food chain or energy pyramid.

Producers: ALWAYS occupy the base of a food chain or energy pyramid.

Consumers occupy the second, third and fourth level

Energy Pyramid A way to represent how

energy passes in the environment.

The most energy is at the bottom

The least energy at the top.

90% is lost as heat at each stage so only 10% is passed.