Almost all organisms ultimately get their

energy from the sun.

• Each organism has a specific niche (job) within the ecosystem.

Organism that usessunlight to create food

Photosynthesis.Ex. – Green plants or algae

Organisms that cannot make their own food.

Consumers get their energy by eating other organisms.

Types of Consumers:

1.Herbivores – “ Plant eaters” Ex. - rabbits, cows,

horses

2.Carnivores – “Meat eaters” – feed on animals.

Ex. Hawks, Lions, Raptors

A.Predator – Hunts and kills other animals (prey).

Ex. HawkB.Scavenger – Feed on dead

animals. Ex. Vultures, crows, flies

3. Omnivores – Eat both plants and animals.

Ex. bears, coyotes, humans

4. Decomposers – Feed on animal wastes and bodies of dead organisms - Recycle nutrients.

Ex. Fungi, bacteria

Types of Consumers:

Types of Consumers:

5. Parasites - feed on living organisms. The organism eaten is called the host.

Ex. Fleas, mosquitos, ticks tapeworms

Diagram showing the flow of energy from producer

to consumer.

Food Chain Order:

1 . Always begins with a producer.

Ex. – grass

2. Primary consumer (first-order)-

always an herbivore or omnivore.

Ex. – grasshopper

Food Chain Order: 3. Secondary Consumer (second

order) - begins with a carnivore or omnivore.

4. Tertiary Consumer (third-order) – Carnivore or omnivore

Decomposers may be at any step

Multiple food chains connected together.

The more chains the more stable the ecosystem.

Critical Thinking

A bumper sticker asks,

“Have you thanked a

green plant today?”

Give two reasons for appreciating a green plant.

The End!