. An ecological characterization of Coastal Maine (north and east of Cape Elizabeth). Coastal ecology -- Maine. BIOTA The biota of forest ecosystems can be classified according to the role of organisms in the transfer of energy through the ecosystem. Four basic functional groups, or trophic levels, exist: 1. The primary producers, green plants: trees, wood shrubs, nonwoody higher plants, ferns, and mosses. 2. The decomposers: fungi, bacteria, and microorganisms (smaller soil insects, worm phyla, and other small invertebrates) 3. The primary consumers, herbivores: many insects and plant-eating
. An ecological characterization of Coastal Maine (north and east of Cape Elizabeth). Coastal ecology -- Maine. BIOTA The biota of forest ecosystems can be classified according to the role of organisms in the transfer of energy through the ecosystem. Four basic functional groups, or trophic levels, exist: 1. The primary producers, green plants: trees, wood shrubs, nonwoody higher plants, ferns, and mosses. 2. The decomposers: fungi, bacteria, and microorganisms (smaller soil insects, worm phyla, and other small invertebrates) 3. The primary consumers, herbivores: many insects and plant-eating vertebrates and invertebrates. 4. The secondary consumers, the carnivores and insectivores: many insects and vertebrates. Energy flow from one level to another is shown in figure 9-4. Sunlight is converted to plant tissue (carbohydrates, fats, and protein) by green plants. This constitutes primary production which then is consumed by herbivores (primary consumers) or falls to the forest floor, where it is utilized by decomposers and other primary consumers. Primary consumers and decomposers then become food for higher level consumers (insectivores and carnivores). The increase in animal tissue as a result of growth or reproduction is termed secondary production. A more detailed discussion of the various trophic levels follows. HIGHER LEVEL CONSUMERS PREDATORS BIRDS MAMMALS iNvE HT£ BRATtS. PRIM&Rr CONSUMERS: HERBIVORES INSECTS MICE SQUIRRELS DEER haRF PRIMARY PRODUCERS iJRtEN PLANTS SECONDARY CONSUMERS PREDATORS INSECTS AND OTHER INVERTEBRATES BIRDS MAMMALS REPTILES AMPMI81ANS \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ d*«a am ma IS \ 'eces 1 ^ \ \ \ I DECOMPOSERS BACTERIA FUNGI / ' / / / / ' SOIL INVERTEBRATES Figure 9-4. Generalized trophic structure of a forest system showing major pathways of energy transfer (solid lines are "grazing" pathways, broken lines are "decomposer" pathways). 9-12. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have be
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