1. Producers such as plants use photosynthesis to produce their own food from sunlight, acting as the base of the food chain. Consumers obtain food by eating other organisms and can be herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores. 2. Energy passes from producers to primary consumers like herbivores and then to secondary consumers such as carnivores in a food chain. Multiple interconnected food chains make up a complex food web in an ecosystem. 3. As energy passes up the food chain, much of it is lost at each transfer between organisms and is used for functions like movement, growth, and heat rather than being fully passed to the next organism. This limits how many organisms can

1. Topic: The Biosphere Sub-topic b: How it Works

2. Individual Individuals Individual Population Community

9. Fox Weasel Hedgehog Frog Snail Vole Rabbit Oak Primrose plant Owl

11. Caterpillar eats the leaf Energy not used Some of the energy in the leaf passes out of the caterpillar in undigested food Energy used Energy used The caterpillar uses some energy it gets from the leaf to move, feed and produce heat. This energy is lost to other animals in the food chain Energy stored The rest of the energy the caterpillar gets from the leaf is stored in the body of the caterpillar. Only the stored energy is available to the next animal in the food chain

12. Tadpole Caddis fly larvae Pond weed Water flea Algae Perch Pike Water beetle Stickleback Freshwater snail

14. Competition is the struggle between members of a community for the same limited resources . Animals Plants Food Water Shelter Nesting Spaces Mates Nutrients Water Light (Root/leaf space)

15. Paramecium species

16. Variety A Variety A in competition with variety B

17. Variety B Variety B in competition with variety A

18. Pyramid of Numbers The diagram indicates the numbers of organisms required to support the next step in the food chain.

23. The Nitrogen Cycle

24. Nitrogen gas in air Mmm Waste ! Decomposition by bacteria and fungus Denitrification by bacteria Nitrogen in plants (Protein) Nitrogen fixation by bacteria Absorption by roots Nitrogen fixation by bacteria Further nitrification by bacteria Nitrogen in NITR ATES in soil Nitrogen in animals (Protein) Nitrogen in dead plant/animal bodies and waste Nitrogen in NITR I TES in soil Nitrification by bacteria Ooh, Ammonia! Nitrogen in ammonium compounds in soil