The Food ChainThe Food Chain

How do animals depend on each other?How do animals depend on each other?

Organisms are categorized into three Organisms are categorized into three groups based on their relationships with groups based on their relationships with other organisms.other organisms.

PredatorPredator

PreyPrey

DecomposersDecomposers

Click on the pictures to learn about each category.

PredatorPredator These creature hunt other animals for These creature hunt other animals for

food.food. They have adaptations to help catch They have adaptations to help catch

food.food. They help keep They help keep

populations of other populations of other

animals lower.animals lower.

Predator

PreyPrey

Prey are hunted by other animals.Prey are hunted by other animals. These animals provide food for others.These animals provide food for others. These animals usually have adaptations These animals usually have adaptations

to help them escape predators. to help them escape predators. Prey

DecomposerDecomposer

These organisms consume dead and These organisms consume dead and rotting material.rotting material.

Decomposers play an important role in Decomposers play an important role in recycling decaying material.recycling decaying material.

These organisms have special These organisms have special adaptations to break down rotting adaptations to break down rotting materials.materials.

Predator, Prey or Predator, Prey or DecomposerDecomposer

Predict which role fits the following descriptions.

1. A mushroom ?2. A Lion ?3. A Rabbit ?4. Has adaptations that help it escape. ?5. Has adaptations for breaking down food. ?6. Has adaptations to help it catch animals. ?

Food ChainFood Chain

Producer Primary Consumer

SecondaryConsumer

TertiaryConsumer

Animals need energy to survive. Animals receive energy by consuming otheranimals. A food chain shows the path of energy and is used to describe the interactions between different animals.

All energy in the food chain comes from the sun.

The Roles of Living The Roles of Living ThingsThings

Producer

Primary Consumer

Secondary Consumer

Tertiary Consumer

Click on the picture to learn about each role.

Living things have different roles that play an important part in Keeping a balance in nature.

Sea Grass

Small Fish

Sea Lion

Great White Shark

ProducerProducer Producers are plants.Producers are plants. Plants are called producers because they Plants are called producers because they

produce their own food and food for other produce their own food and food for other animals.animals.

Plants get their energy from water air and Plants get their energy from water air and the sun.the sun.

Primary ConsumerPrimary Consumer

Primary consumers are animals that eat Primary consumers are animals that eat producers.producers.

Primary consumers mainly get their Primary consumers mainly get their energy from plants.energy from plants.

Secondary ConsumerSecondary Consumer

Secondary consumers are animals that Secondary consumers are animals that eat other animals. Secondary consumers eat other animals. Secondary consumers mainly receive their energy from primary mainly receive their energy from primary consumers.consumers.

Tertiary ConsumerTertiary Consumer

Tertiary consumers are animals that eat Tertiary consumers are animals that eat both primary and secondary consumers both primary and secondary consumers these animals are usually the top animal these animals are usually the top animal in the food chain.in the food chain.

Create a Food ChainCreate a Food Chain

Draw an accurate food chain using the Draw an accurate food chain using the

animals below.animals below.

Create a Food ChainCreate a Food Chain

Producer

Create a Food ChainCreate a Food Chain

Producer

Primary Consumer

Create a Food ChainCreate a Food Chain

Producer PrimaryConsumer

SecondaryConsumer

Create a Food ChainCreate a Food Chain Energy travels from the sun into the Cactus. The Energy travels from the sun into the Cactus. The

Kangaroo rat receives energy from the Cactus fruit. The Kangaroo rat receives energy from the Cactus fruit. The Rattle Snake Eats the Kangaroo Rat. Finally the hawk Rattle Snake Eats the Kangaroo Rat. Finally the hawk receives energy from the snake. The energy from the receives energy from the snake. The energy from the plant eventually reaches the tertiary consumer. plant eventually reaches the tertiary consumer.

Who would be affected if all the cactus were destroyed?Who would be affected if all the cactus were destroyed?

ProducerPrimaryConsumer

SecondaryConsumer

TertiaryConsumer

Parasite/HostParasite/Host ParasitesParasites are organisms that live on or inside are organisms that live on or inside

another organism and feed off their energy.another organism and feed off their energy. A A HostHost is an organism occupied by a parasite. is an organism occupied by a parasite.

The Lamprey is a parasite that hooks on to fish and drinks their blood.

Important Questions to Important Questions to study.study.

Can you describe the characteristics of the Can you describe the characteristics of the following roles of living things- following roles of living things-

ProducersProducers Primary ConsumersPrimary Consumers Secondary ConsumersSecondary Consumers Tertiary Consumers Are you able to describe Tertiary Consumers Are you able to describe

what scientists use a food chain to describe? what scientists use a food chain to describe? Can you identify the source of all energy in the Can you identify the source of all energy in the

food chain. food chain.

Food WebsFood Webs

Food Chains are connected to each other.Food Chains are connected to each other.

Food Chains are very simple and Food Chains are very simple and do not tell the whole story of what do not tell the whole story of what happens in nature.happens in nature.

This food chain is simple and easy to read, but are polar bears theonly animals that eat the seals?

Food Web

The food web combines multiple food chains to show how different animals interact with each other.

Food webs show where the energy travels between many differentorganisms.

Use the food web to answer these questions.

Which organisms receive energy that begins in the tree?

Which organisms receive energy from the ant?

How do the fox and owl compete against each other?

How would the food web be affected if all of the grass was removed?

Food webs show how organisms are affected by each other.

What would happen to the food web if all the snakes were removed fromthe area?

Food webs help scientists determine what would happen to animals in an ecosystem if another animal was removed.

Energy Pyramid

In a food web energy is captured by the producers and eventuallytravels to the top carnivores. As energy is transferred from animal to animalsome is lost. This happens because animals use that energy in their daily Activities, like hunting, cleaning, pooping. An energy pyramid shows theamount of energy available at each level of the food chain.

Secondary/Tertiary Consumer

Primary Consumer

Producer

Which organisms have the most amount of energy in the food pyramidabove? Which organisms have the least?

Animals fall into three Animals fall into three categories based on what categories based on what they eat.they eat.

HerbivoreHerbivore

CarnivoreCarnivore

OmnivoreOmnivore

Click on the pictures to learn about each category.

HerbivoreHerbivore

These are animals that only eat plants.These are animals that only eat plants. They have smooth teeth to help chew They have smooth teeth to help chew

plants.plants. These animals are often prey animals.These animals are often prey animals.

CarnivoreCarnivore

These animals only eat meat.These animals only eat meat. They have sharp teeth for cutting meat.They have sharp teeth for cutting meat. They are often the predator.They are often the predator.

OmnivoreOmnivore

These animals eat both plants and These animals eat both plants and animals.animals.

They have both sharp and smooth teeth They have both sharp and smooth teeth for chewing a variety of food.for chewing a variety of food.

Are sometimes the predator and other Are sometimes the predator and other times the prey.times the prey.

Carnivore, Herbivore, Carnivore, Herbivore, OmnivoreOmnivore

Predict which role fits the following descriptions.

1. A Jaguar only eats meat 2. A Chimpanzee eats plants and meat 3. A Wallaby only eats grass. 4. Smooth teeth 5. Sharp and Smooth teeth 6. Sharp teeth