Ecology - 2 - Food Chains & Food Webs

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Robert Perry Malibu High School

P r e s e n t s

cology basics Series Two

FOOD CHAINS and TROPHIC LEVELS lead to FOOD WEBS.

ENERGY flowing through an ECOSYSTEM creates a simple FOOD CHAIN diagram.

a food chain (follow the ENERGY coming from the SUN)

a food chain Y G PRODUCERS R E ) N N E e SU r u he t p t a c m s o h fr p o ng r t i o t om u (a c

1

a food chain

1

Y G e R h t E ) N m t E ro ea HERBIVORES t f e y g S e s L th e r IA S o v R R i b TE CE r e A U h ( M D & RO P

PRODUCERS

2

a food chain

1

PRODUCERS

2

HERBIVORES

3

1st Order CARNIVORES

1st order (carnivores get ENERGY & MATERIALS from the HERBIVORES they eat)

a food chain

1

PRODUCERS

2

HERBIVORES

3

1st Order CARNIVORES

4

2nd Order CARNIVORES

the numbers are called

1

trophic levels

2

3 4

trophic levels

1

tell how far away each feeding level is from THE SUN

2

3 4

1

Food chains show trophic levels

PRODUCERS

2

HERBIVORES

3

1st Order CARNIVORES

4

2nd Order CARNIVORES

5 4 3 2 1

Zuma Beach food chain

1

PRODUCERS

2

HERBIVORES

3

1st Order CARNIVORES

4

2nd Order CARNIVORES

1.

PHYTOPLANKTON

ZUMA

ZUMA O T Y H P

PL

O T K N A

N

2.

ZOOPLANKTON

ZUMA O T Y H P

PL

O T K N A

ZO

N

O

A L P

N O T K N

3.

1st Order CARNIVORES

ZUMA O T Y H P

PL

O T K N A

ZO

N

O

A L P

N O T K N

O t 1s

O V I N R A C r e d r

ES R

4.

2nd Order CARNIVORES

ZUMA O T Y H P

PL

O T K N A

ZO

N

O

A L P

N O T K N

O t 1s

O V I N R A C r e d r

ES R

2nd Order CARNIVORES

The 10% Rule of Ecology: A maximum of 10% of the energy and/or biomass from each link in a food chain (trophic level) can be passed on to the next link (level).

O T Y H P

PL

O T K N A

ZO

N

O

1,000 Kg 100 Kg

A L P

N O T K N

O t 1s

O V I N R A C r e d r

ES R

10 Kg 1 Kg

2nd Order CARNIVORES

FOOD WEBS !

Show all the possible FOOD CHAINS. Show all the OMNIVORES. Show multiple feeding preferences.

Decomposers (bacteria & fungi)

MARINE FOOD WEBS and YOUR ZUMA RESEARCH

IN SHALLOW WATER THERE ARE TWO ECOSYSTEMS: 1.ONE BASED ON PHYTOPLANKTON FOUND WORLD WIDE NEAR THE SEA SURFACE. 2.ANOTHER BASED ON MACROPHYTES - MUST GROW IN SHALLOW WATER TO ATTACH TO SEA FLOOR AND STILL GET SUNLIGHT.

MACROPHYTES WHERE SUNLIGHT HITS THE SEA FLOOR 3,795m is the average depth of the ocean

for macrophytes

THIS IS THE ONLY REGION WITH BOTH ECOSYSTEMS: PHYTOPLANKTON-BASED and MACROPHYTE-BASED IN THE SAME PLACE !

How do your Zuma organisms fit on a food web ?

Here’s how to do it . . .

PHYTOPLANKTON

MACROPHYTES

DECOMPOSERS ZOOPLANKTON

SUSPENSION FEEDERS

BENTHIC HERBIVORES

DETRITAL FEEDERS

CARNIVORES

SCAVENGERS

This template shows you where to copy and paste your species into categores on a single page.

First, fill in the PHYTOPLANKTONBASED ECOSYSTEM side of the food web.

PHYTOPLANKTON

DECOMPOSERS

copy & paste the names of all the phytoplankton species here.

PHYTOPLANKTON

DECOMPOSERS ZOOPLANKTON

copy & paste the names of all the zooplankton species here.

PHYTOPLANKTON

DECOMPOSERS ZOOPLANKTON

SUSPENSION FEEDERS

C & P the names of all the suspension feeders here.

HOW CAN YOU TELL WHICH ZUMA SPECIES ARE SUSPENSION FEEDERS ?

Suspension feeders, or “filter feeders,” pump, strain, filter or otherwise collect plankton and particles of detritus from water.

Emerita, barnacles, mussels, clams, sponges, tunicates, bryozoans, and many tube-dwelling polychaete worms are suspension feeders.

Barnacles

mussels

clams

Bivalve mollusks

Emerita analoga

PHYTOPLANKTON

DECOMPOSERS ZOOPLANKTON

C & P the names of all the carnivore species here.

SUSPENSION FEEDERS

CARNIVORES

HOW CAN YOU TELL WHICH ZUMA SPECIES ARE CARNIVORES ?

All birds All fish.

All mammals.

Animals that sting or have jaws, teeth, fangs and are quick and smart are carnivorous.

All Cnidarians..

Blepharipoda !

All mammals.

Next, fill in the BENTHIC PLANTBASED ECOSYSTEM side of the food web.

PHYTOPLANKTON

MACROPHYTES

DECOMPOSERS

C & P the names of all the macrophyte wrack species here.

SUSPENSION FEEDERS

CARNIVORES

HOW CAN YOU TELL WHICH ZUMA SPECIES ARE BENTHIC PLANTS ?

Benthic plants do not grow in sandy environments like Zuma Beach, but they enter our food web as debris washed in from neighboring shores.

Zostera

Ulva Macrocystis

PHYTOPLANKTON

BENTHIC PLANTS

DECOMPOSERS

C & P the names of all the benthic herbivore species here.

SUSPENSION FEEDERS

CARNIVORES

BENTHIC HERBIVORES

HOW CAN YOU TELL WHICH ZUMA SPECIES ARE BENTHIC HERBIVORES ?

Wherever you find benthic plants you’ll find benthic herbivores. They’re slow, not too smart, and must eat constantly so they stay close to plants.

Many snail-like molluscs use their radula to scrape and eat seaweed.

RADULA

PHYTOPLANKTON

BENTHIC PLANTS

DECOMPOSERS

C & P the names of all the scavenger species here.

SUSPENSION FEEDERS

BENTHIC HERBIVORES

SCAVENGERS

CARNIVORES

HOW CAN YOU TELL WHICH ZUMA SPECIES ARE SCAVENGERS ?

Scavengers are opportunistic feeders that will eat sessile animals, dead or injured animals, as well as plant materials. They take advantage of opportunities as they happen.

At Zuma Beach 3 birds are scavengers: Larus occidentalis Larus delawarensis juvenile Larus

PHYTOPLANKTON

BENTHIC PLANTS

Last, put the DECOMPOSERS detrital feeder species here, if any.

ZOOPLANKTON

SUSPENSION FEEDERS

DETRITAL FEEDERS

CARNIVORES

BENTHIC HERBIVORES

SCAVENGERS

HOW CAN YOU TELL WHICH ZUMA SPECIES ARE DETRITAL FEEDERS ?

What is DETRITUS ?

Detritus in the ocean is made up of bits and pieces of decomposing plants, animals and their waste products. They are coated with bacteria and fungi, and represent a source of energy and materials for detrital feeders.

HOW CAN YOU TELL WHICH ZUMA SPECIES ARE DETRITAL FEEDERS ?

sea cucumber

Brittle star

Amphipod

As particles of detritus sink down to the ocean floor, a variety of slow moving “vacuum cleaner” animals feed on it.

Sea cucumbers, brittle stars and tiny benthic crustaceans such as amphipods and isopods feed on detritus.

Now you know where to locate your groups on the page.

PHYTOPLANKTON

BENTHIC PLANTS

DECOMPOSERS ZOOPLANKTON

SUSPENSION FEEDERS

BENTHIC HERBIVORES

DETRITAL FEEDERS

CARNIVORES

SCAVENGERS

YOUR FOOD WEB IS JUST ANOTHER PAGE IN YOUR ONE, BIG MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT.

How do your word-process the names of organisms and type up this food web ?

STEP 1 – FINISH YOUR LIST OF SPECIES BY PHYLUM:

Begin in the upper left corner MAKE A TEXT BOX (USING THE DRAWING TOOLS) Then, copy ‘n’ paste all the species of phytoplankton you have seen to the upper left corner.

Add the rest of the categories and species you have seen.

Use the drawing tool to add boxes around each category.

YOUR FOOD WEB DISCUSSION

Based on the data collected, this exposed sand beach ecosystem is based primarily on phytoplankton. The macrophytes observed did not grow at the study location, but were observed only as wrack on the shore. Given the abundance and diversity of phytoplankton, a similarly large abundance and diversity of zooplankton was recorded. The macrofauna observed consisted primarily of suspension feeding invertebrates, tapping the rich plankton populations. Carnivores that fed on these invertebrates were mostly marine birds. Fish-eating mammals were also recorded, but during this project fish species and populations were not studied.

FOOD WEBS: SPECIAL SPECIES TO NOTE

(if you recorded any of these)

Fissurella volcano HERBIVORE Norrisia norrisi HERBIVORE Lottia gigantea HERBIVORE Conus californicus CARNIVORE Medusa CARNIVORE Obelia CARNIVORE Diopatra ornata CARNIVORE Oikopleura SUSP. FEEDER Pleurobrachia bachei CARNIVORE

reminder

all one MS Word file

HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR FINAL MASTERPIECE FOR BINDING: INTRODUCTION METHODS GRAPHS and DISCUSSIONS CONCLUSIONS original DATA SHEETS

DO NOT INCLUDE ANY PREVIOUSLY GRADED OLD GRAPHS OR GRADED WRITING FROM THE PAST

BE PROUD OF YOUR WORK Do your own work.

NEVER COPY OR SHARE

Copy and paste scientific names.

FEEL THE FORCE OF THE MASTER LIST, LUKE.

Follow rules for italics and caps.

NEVER ITALS FOR “LARVAE” , “-OID” & OTHER ENGLISH WORDS.

Think, write and then re-write.

PAST TENSE, CLEAR, CONCISE, NO ADJECTIVES, NO ADVERBS, NO PERSONAL PRONOUNS. YOU KNOW THE DRILL !