energy flow session handout

8/4/2019 Energy Flow session handout

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Unit 2-Understanding the principles of Wildlife Populations, Ecology and Conservation

Outcome: __________ Session number: __________ Date: __________

1

1.2.1: Energy Flow within Eco-systems

Programme

Share objectives for the session

Terminology

Biotic and Abiotic factors

Energy Flow

Food Chains

Summary and evaluation

By the end of this session learners will be able to:

1. List five biotic and five abiotic factors.

2. Explain the terms biotic and abiotic.

3. Correctly construct and label a food chain.


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2

Introduction

In order to understand the theory of energy flow within ecosystems, we must first

understand the terminology.

Spend a couple of minutes discussing with the person next to you, what you think an

ecosystem and energy flow is. You can make some notes in the space below:

Discuss your thoughts as a group.


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3

Biotic and Abiotic Factors

In the diagram above, you can see a number of living and non-living components.

Within a city, you will find people (living components) and buildings (non-living

components).

An ecosystem works in exactly the same way.

The components within the ecosystem, can be split into two groups:

Biotic and Abiotic

Biotic = Living (plants and animals) components

Abiotic = Non-living, climatic (weather etc) components


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4

Activity 1: Biotic or Abiotic

Look at the community components in the table. Decide whether they are biotic or

abiotic factors:

Ecosystem Component Biotic or Abiotic

Bird

Wind

Sunlight

Bacteria

Tree

Temperature

Fungi

Soil

Insects

Nutrients

Parasites

Larvae

Altitude


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5

Energy Flow

ENERGY FLOW is the way in which energy is passed through an ecosystem fromone living organism to the next. ..

1. It starts with a number of ABIOTIC factors that help plants to grow.

One of the most important abiotic factors is_____________________.

2. Plants capture the sunlights energy through____________________,

(the process used by plants to convert heat energy from the sun into

organic compounds such as glucose). These compounds allow the

plants to grow.

3. In turn, animals draw energy from eating the plants. These animals are

then eaten by other animals. In this way, energy is passed through the

ecosystem.

4. Animals use this energy is for processes such as ________________,

______________________and ____________________________.


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6

Activity 2: Energy Flow in the ecosystem

Number each of the sentences below to identify the stages of energy flow through agarden ecosystem:

The pet cat hunts birds in the garden.

Caterpillars munch leaves on the tree.

Tree photosynthesises and grows.

Blackbird forages for small insects.

The sun shines


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7

Food Chains

In activity 2, you constructed a very simple FOOD CHAIN.

A FOOD CHAIN consists of a series of organisms in which the first organism iseaten by a second and the second is eaten by a third.

During this process, energy is transferred FROM the eaten organism TO the

organism that eats it.

Here is an example of a simple food chain.

A simple Food Chain

sun grass rabbit snake hawk

In order to be able to construct and label a food chain we need to understand the

rules of the food chain game

The Rules

THE SUN is at the START of every food chain

ARROWS link the chain together. The arrow points in the direction that the energy is

being passed along the chain.

PRODUCER These are plant organisms that produce energy through

photosynthesis.

CONSUMER An organism that gets its energy by consuming another organism.

HERBIVORE A consumer that only eats plants.

OMNIVORE A consumer that eats plants and animals.

CARNIVORE A consumer that eats other animals.

Activity 3: The Chain

Each person takes a piece of card.

Following the food chain rules on page 6 and the SmartBoard, arrange yourselves atthe front of the room to create a correctly ordered and labelled food chain.

GOOD LUCK!!!


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Summary and Evaluation

All of the living organisms within an ecosystem ( BIOTIC / ABIOTIC), depend

upon a number of non-living processes ( BIOTIC / ABIOTIC) for survival.

Which ABIOTIC factor starts all food chains?

______________________________________________________________

List three BIOTIC factors

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

List three ABIOTIC factors

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________


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9

Label this food chain with the following words: PRODUCER, CONSUMER,

HERBIVORE, CARNIVORE and draw in the arrows.

You can use this page to write any notes on the subjects we have covered

energy flow session handout

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