In ecosystems, there is a constant flux of energy. This energy enters the ecosystem through the sum of chemical compounds and is distributed to all living organisms of the ecosystem.
When the energy enters the ecosystem, it is used by autotrophs organisms to produce organic compounds.
There are two types of "producers" that use the energy and inorganic molecules to create "food"
-Photoautotrophs: these organisms use sunlight to synthesize organic molecules. Among these organisms, you can find plants, algae, and some species of bacteria.
-Chemoautotrophs: these organisms use the energy from chemical compounds to produce food. Among these organisms, you will find bacteria.
The next step in the flux of energy of the ecosystem you will find the "consumers", that is, organisms that depend on other living organisms for food.
These organisms are called heterotrophs, they can be animals or fungi, and can be classified depending on what they eat as:
-Herbivores: they consume plants or algae.
-Carnivores: they consume other animals.
-Omnivores: they consume both plants and animals.
The last step in the flux of energy in the ecosystem is the decomposers. These organisms break down the remains and waste of other organisms and release inorganic molecules and the energy stored within the remains back into the environment, where autotrophs will be able to use them to synthesize more food.
The decomposers are also classified according to the type of organic matter they break down:
-Scavengers: consume softs tissues of dead animals.
-Detritivores: consume detritus (dead leaves, animal feces, and other organic debris)
-Saprotrophs: consume the remaining organic matter left by the other decomposers.
So, the flux of energy can be summarized as follows:
Check the given models to determine which ones represent the energy flux of the woodland:
1) sun → tree → caterpillar → bird
The energy source is the sun, this energy is used by the tree (autotroph), then is consumed by the caterpillar (heterotroph, herbivore) and finally the caterpillar is consumed by the bird (heterotroph insectivore)
This model represents the energy flux.
2) sun → caterpillar → bird → hawk
The source of energy is the sun following this model the energy of the sum is used by the caterpillar. This is wrong since caterpillars are heterotrophs and not autotrophs, so they cannot use the energy of the sum to synthesize food.
This model does not represent the energy flux of the ecosystem.
3) sun → hawk → bird → caterpillar
Same as the previous model, this model shows that the energy of the sun is used by a hawk, but hawks are heterotrophs, they cannot use the energy to produce their food, there is a link missing which is the one represented by the autotrophs.
This model does not represent the energy flux of the ecosystem.
4) sun →grass → mouse→ owl
The energy source is the sun, this energy is used by an autotroph organism, the grass. The grass is consumed by the mouse ( heterotroph, herbivore) and finally, the mouse is consumed by an owl (heterotroph, carnivore)
This model represents the energy flux.
5)sun → tree → grass → mouse
The energy source is the sun, which is used by a tree (autotroph), the next link of the chain is another autotroph organism, the grass, this organism cannot use the energy stored within the tree, so this model does not apply.
This model does not represent the energy flux of the ecosystem.
The models that represent the flux of energy in woodland are numbers 1 and 4.