4.7.4 Trophic levels in an ecosystem (might come up) P2 Flashcards
What is biomass
The dry mass of all of the living organisms in an area
Why is dry mass used for biomass
Because the wet mass varies as the volume of water in the organism varies
How do you calculate the efficiency of biomass transfer
efficiency = energy transferred / total energy available x 100
What percentage of the incident energy from light for photosynthesis do produces transfer
1%
What percentage of the biomass from one trophic level is transferred to the level above it in feeding
Approximately 10%
Why are biomass transfers not 100% efficient
Energy is lost through Egestion Excretion Respiration Production of inedible bones and shells
How does the efficiency of biomass transfers affect the number of trophic levels in a biomass pyramid
The less efficient the transfers, the fewer the trophic levels and the fewer organisms in higher tropic levels
