Experiment to better understand the decomposition of organic matter.
| Grade | Discipline | Core Idea |
|---|---|---|
| 6-8 | LS2.B: Cycles of matter and energy transfer in ecosystems |
The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem. Food webs model how matter and energy are transferred among producers, consumers, and decomposers as the three groups interact within an ecosystem. |
| 9-12 | LS2.B: Cycles of matter and energy transfer in ecosystems |
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration provide most of the energy for life processes. Only a fraction of matter consumed at the lower level of a food web is transferred up, resulting in fewer organisms at higher levels. At each link in an ecosystem elements are combined in different ways and matter and energy are conserved. Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are key components of the global carbon cycle. |