GEO 131 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Grizzly Bear, Ecosystem Management, Radiant Energy
12 Jan 2017
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Lecture 12 - ecology, biodiversity and succession cont"d. We know energy flows in the biosphere because animals and plants are constantly changing, which requires energy. Solar energy flows through you via the hamburger/salad you ate. All organisms depend on one another, and belong to at least 1 of the 3 main feeding levels: producers, consumers, decomposers. Autotrophs make their own food by producing their stored energy, so they"re called producers. Heterotrophs get food from another source so they"re called consumers. Store the sun"s energy as starch, sugar and other molecules via photosynthesis w/ chlorophyll. Plants + many protists + monerans contain chlorophyll (carry out photosynthesis). They make their own food --> autotrophs (self-feeders). Feed on other organisms for their food = heterotrophs. Several hierarchal orders depending on where they eat in the food chain. 3 types of consumers based on what you eat (indicated by teeth): Scavengers - feed on dead organisms (vultures, crows, crayfish).
