Interdependence of Living Things

1. Interdependence of Living Things + =

2. Producers • Organisms that have the ability to produce their own energy (autotrophs). • Most producers use the sun’s energy to make food (photosynthesis). • Plants make up the largest group of producers.

3. Consumers • Organisms that cannot make their own food. • They must obtain energy from other living things (heterotrophs). • All animals are consumers.

4. Decomposers • Organisms that obtain a majority of their energy from wastes and dead organisms. • Natures recyclers. • Considered consumers. • Examples: bacteria, fungi, worms, maggots)

5. Herbivores • Organisms that only eat plants. • Rabbits, cows, horses.

6. Carnivores • Organisms that only eat meat. • Lions, Owls, Hawks

7. Omnivore • Organisms that feed on both plants and animals. • Bears, raccoons, robins

8. Detritivores • Organisms that feed on tiny bits of decaying matter called detritus • Millipedes,beetles

9. Food Chains • Simple model showing how matter and energy pass from one organism to another • Always starts with producers (plants) who get their energy from the sun • 2nd step in chain are primary consumers that eat producers (herbivores) • 3rd step in chain are secondary consumers that either eat primary consumers or producers. • 4th step in chain are tertiary consumers or top predators that feed primarily on primary and secondary consumers.

10. What does a food chain look like?

12. Where does the energy come from? • The sun provides most life on earth energy • Plants use the process called photosynthesis to make food • Light energy chemical energy (food)

13. Energy loss • When a herbivore eats, only 10% of energy from plants becomes body mass • Remaining 90% is lost to carry out life processes (movement, digestion, reproduction) & as waste • When carnivore eats herbivore only 1% of original amount of energy is used

16. Abiotic & biotic factors • Abiotic factors are non-living things in the environment ex. soil, water, rocks, sunlight. • Biotic factors are living things in the environment ex. animals, plants, bacteria.