Energy in the Ecosystem Notes
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All the energy in an ecosystem comes from the _____!
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______% of the sun’s energy that strikes the earth is absorbed by plants
o Where does the rest go?
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Plants use that energy through ______________ to produce sugar (glucose) which can then be converted to
the _______________ of the plant.
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Biomass – This is the mass of all ________ at any level in a food chain (the stuff!)
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The amount of biomass in a food chain creates a Pyramid of Biomass (diagram below).
o Why?
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Approximately ______% of biomass at one level becomes biomass at the next level.
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The other ______% is uneaten, undigested (this energy is available to decomposers) or given off as heat
from the activities of the organism.
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Biomass ______________ with each additional step upward in a food chain
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Energy is ______ as _______ (and cannot be reused) in each step of the food chain
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Pyramid of Numbers- pyramid showing that a large number of organisms (Primary Producers) is required
at the base of the food chain (there are exceptions) to support a small number of organisms at the top.
***The number of organisms at the highest level in a food chain is directly related to the number of levels in the
chain. How can more organisms be supported in an ecosystem?
***What is the difference between a pyramid of biomass and a pyramid of numbers?