This document defines key terms related to food chains such as producers, consumers, decomposers, and trophic levels. It explains that a food chain shows a sequence of organisms eating one another and transferring energy, and that a network of many food chains makes a food web. The document also discusses how populations are regulated by limiting factors and how environmental changes like pollution, climate change, or extinction of organisms can impact entire food chains and ecosystems.

1. Identifying Food Chains Mr. Polanyi Clipart from Microsoft

2. Definitions Organism – Individual form of live Plants, Animals, Bacterium Herbivores – Animals that eat ONLY PLANTS Carnivores – Animals that eat ONLY ANIMALS Omnivores – Animals/People who eat BOTH ANIMALS & PLANTS

3. Definitions Decomposers – Feed on decaying matter Consumers – Can’t produce their own food Producers – Can produce their own food Trophic Level – Different levels of food chains

5. Every organism needs energy to live

6. Arrows show the flow of energy

8. Trophic Levels Primary Producers – The base Primary Consumers – Eat primary producers Secondary Consumers – Eat primary consumers Tertiary Consumers – Eat secondary consumers Quaternary Consumers – Eat tertiary consumers

9. Population Group of organisms that live in a particular area Number of organisms changes over time Limiting Factors – Prevent populations from growing Important to a stable population

10. Equilibrium Increase carnivores -> Decrease herbivores Harder for carnivores to eat Relatively stable relationship Balanced equilibrium is a successful food chain

11. Environmental Changes Decrease food and water supplies Light – Common resource needed for plants Space – Organisms need space to grow Weather – Storms affect ecosystems

12. Environmental Changes Predators – Decrease the population Diseases – Affect the growth rate Parasitism – The host becomes harmed

13. Environmental Changes Global warming Deforestation – Killing habitats and ecosystems Pollution – Air and water pollution Oil spills, fertilizers Climate Change – Difficult for Plants/Animals to adapt

14. Number of Organisms Energy is lost when organism eats another Has to be more plants than plant eaters Births & Deaths affect population growth Extinction -> Affects entire chain

15. Energy Flow Energy is lost at each stage of the food chain Energy is lost to the environment Down river, decaying Average 10% of energy is passed on More smaller animals in the transfer of energy

16. Grassland Biome

17. Food Web Quaternary Consumers (eat tertiary consumers) Tertiary Consumers (eat secondary consumers) Heterotrophs Secondary Consumers (eat primary consumers) Primary Consumers (eat producers) Autotrophs Producers (Plants)

18. Class Activity Create a food chain on a poster board Can be a Grassland Biome, Pond Biome, Ocean Biome, etc Show the different trophic levels Identify the flow of energy Identify the organism Consumer, producer, omnivore, etc

19. References "Food Chains and Food Webs." Enchantedlearning.com. N.p., 2009. Web. 6 Oct. 2009. "Interesting Facts about Food Chains." www.arcytech.org. N.p., 13 Nov. 2000. Web. 6 Oct. 2009. "Food Chains & Food Webs." www.vtaide.com. NSTA Network of teacher-webwatchers, 6 Oct. 2009. Web. 6 Oct. 2009.