9: The Tundra and Ecological Pyramids Flashcards
How can we graphically represent the transfer of energy from one trophic level to another?
through ecological pyramids
What type of organisms break down organic matter into simpler, inorganic matter?
Decomposers! the inorganic matter is then available to producers
What percentage of energy moves from one trophic level to another?
about 10%
- the remaining 90% is released to the environment as heat, a form of energy that the ecosystem cannot use
What law explains the unidirectional flow of energy in the ecosystem?
The second law of thermodynamics
In what units is energy measured?
kcal (kilocalories), cal (calories), or Joules
What does an energy pyramid represent?
it can be used to represent the amount of energy present at each trophic level of a food web (kcal) or the amount of biomass at each trophic level of a food web (kg)
What is biomass?
the total mass of living material; energy can be converted to biomass and biomass can be converted to energy
What units are used to measure biomass?
kg (kilograms) or g (grams)
How are decomposers depicted on energy pyramids?
if they are depicted, they go to the side
