Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Energy Efficiency

  • Losses in the owl is from respiration, producing energy for flight, digestion, movement, the nervous system. 

  • All organisms finally die and are broken down by micro-organisms living on the dead and decaying remains of other micro-organisms. 

  • 100Kj of grass energy represents grass eaten by the herbivore. 

  • Mouse have to walk around and find their food and carry out the process of respiration. 

  • 90Kj of energy left is lost from respiration and undigested food.
  • Energy and substances in food chains

  • Bush grass is eaten by impala. 

  • Bush grass is the producer Impala is the primary consumer leopard is the secondary

  • consumer.

  • Producer turns light energy into chemical energy - takes the form of organic molecules including carbohydrates, proteins and lipids --> what we call food.

  • These molecules are composed of C-H bonds, C-O bonds, C-C bonds, O-H bonds and C-N bonds - ALL represent energy. 
  • Food Webs

    • Food webs allow better description of the ecosystem.
    • Food web allows us to show organisms feeding at different trophic levels. 
    • Results in food chains becoming linked.
    • Organisms may be feeding on multiple prey.
    • Organisms can have multiple predators.


    Food Chain

    Trophic Level

    4.3 Quadrats samples

    4.2 Quadrats

    Ecosystem