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Vocab (due Friday): producer, consumer, decomposer, food web, carrying capacity, succession.
Producers (plants, algae) convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis. Primary consumers eat producers; secondary consumers eat primary consumers. Only about 10% of energy transfers between levels — the rest is lost as heat.
Decomposers (bacteria, fungi) break down dead matter and return nutrients to the soil, closing the loop. Without them, ecosystems would run out of raw materials.
Homework: p. 112 #1–8, diagram of pond food web with at least 3 trophic levels. Lab report draft Thursday.
Reminder: science fair proposal needs teacher signature by next Monday. Bring goggles for Friday's lab.