On a nice, sunny Tuesday afternoon in April I went looking in my backyard for a classic food chain. I first found the roots and organic matter under a couple pavers around my mailbox. Feeding on the roots, were pill bugs.
The roots and organic matter is the first source of energy for the pillbug. They are the producers in the food chain. The producers obtain their energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis.
Robins search through the ground and eat pill bugs for their source of energy. Robins have numerous prey. Feeding on pill bugs alone would not help the robin survive. If an organism is higher up in the food web they require more sources of energy.
I LOVE the comment about the "energy bars". No wonder many people do not understand the transfer of energy. Our experience tells us that it is easy to get "energy" when it is the opposite in natural ecosystems. Good point.
ReplyDeleteI focused on backyard energy flow as well - just in my garden. It's amazing how small the chain can be when you hunt for them. Plus it's a great way to get your kids involved!
ReplyDeleteI love how you used your own backyard! I think a lot of people often forget about how amazing their own back yard can be. I told someone just a few weeks ago that as long as you have one tree available you can find so much life from the ground up.
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