13.1 Food chains and energy transfer

Question 1

What is the ultimate source of energy within an ecosystem

Answer 1

Sunlight which is conserved as chemical energy by plants

Question 2

What are the three groups of organisms according to how they obtain energy

Answer 2

1. Producers
2. Consumers
3. Saprobionts

Question 3

What are producers

Answer 3

Photosynthetic organisms that manufacture organic substances using light energy, water, co2, and mineral ions

Question 4

What are consumers

Answer 4

Organisms that obtain their energy by consuming other organisms. Primary = eat photosynthetic organisms, Secondary = eat primary consumers, tertiary = eat secondary consumers

Question 5

What are saprobionts

Answer 5

A group of organisms that break down the complex in dead organisms into simple ones. In doing so, they release valuable minerals and elements in a form that can be absorbed by plants and contribute to recycling

Question 6

What is a food chain

Answer 6

A food chain describes a feeding relationship in which the producers are eaten by primary consumers. Primary consumers by secondary, secondary by tertiary. Each stage in this chain is called a trophic level. Arrows determine which way energy flows

Question 7

What is a food web

Answer 7

In reality, most animals rely on more than one single food source and within a single habitat many food chains will be linked to form a food web.

Question 8

What is biomass

Answer 8

The total mass of living material in a specific area at a specific time

Question 9

What makes biomass hard to calculate

Answer 9

The presence of water

Question 10

How is the chemical energy in biomass estimated

Answer 10

Using bomb calorimetry