B1- Energy In Biomass Flashcards
How is biomass lost between each stage?
- In excretion.
- Used for respiration and movement.
- To keep the animal at normal body temperature.
- Uneaten parts of prey means biomass is lost.
What is decay and what are the best conditions for decay?
Decay is the decomposition of organic material by microorganisms and decomposers. The best conditions for decay are warm, moist aerobic conditions.
Why must waste material be broken down?
All materials in waste and dead organisms are recycled, returning nutrients to the soil. If this did not happen, organisms would run out of nutrients.
What is the carbon cycle? Describe how it works in simple terms.
The carbon cycle is the constant cycling of carbon in nature.
In simple terms, photosynthesis removes CO2 from the atmosphere. The carbon moves through the food chain and is released back into the air by respiration, or it is released by combustion.
What is a pyramid of biomass?
A pyramid of biomass represents the mass of the organisms at each stage in the food chain. The biomass at each stage of the food chain is less than at the previous stage.
Why is the biomass less in different stages of the pyramid of biomass. Give two reasons.
- Lost in urine.
- Not all biomass is eaten.
Carbon in dead plants is returned to the atmosphere via the carbon cycle. Describe this part of the carbon cycle (4).
- Plants decay.
- Microorganisms.
- Microorganisms respire.
- CO2 released from respiration.
What factors might affect growth?
Environmental factors- e.g: light, water, temperature
Or genes, inheritance.
Why do smaller animals need more energy per day per gram of body mass?
Smaller animals have a larger surface area:volume ratio so heat/energy is lost more quickly.
Bladder wrack is a type of seaweed with bladders filled with air. Bladder wrack grows quicker than saw wrack.
Suggest why.
Air bubbles help seaweed float near surface so it gets more light (1). More photosynthesis (1) occurs therefore more biomass produced (1).
