Notes: Energy Flow in

Ecosystems
 A. Energy

• Only about 10% of it is

transferred from one
organism to another.
 a. producer

• An organism that makes its

own food. It is the source of
all food in the ecosystem
(plants).
 b. consumer

• It is an organism that feeds

on producers and other
organisms because it can’t
make its own food.
 1. Herbivore

• It eats only plants.

 2. Carnivore

• It eats only animals.

 3. Omnivore

• It eats plants and animals.

 4. Scavenger

• It feeds on dead organisms.

 c. decomposer

• It breaks down bodies of

dead organisms.
 B. Food Chain
• Energy is passed from one
organism to another organism.
It usually has 3 or 4 links.
An ex. Is algae / snail/
turtle / bass
 C. Food Web
• It is overlapping food chains.
 D. Energy Pyramid
• It shows the amount of
energy that moves from one
feeding level to another. At
each level there is less
available energy.