B1 - Energy In Biomass Flashcards
What is biomass?
The dry mass of living material in an animal or plant.
What is a pyramid of biomass?
The mass of living material is less at each stage of the food chain forming a pyramid shape.
Why is the amount of biomass less at each stage?
- Not all organisms are eaten.
- Some biomass is lost as waste by the organism
- When a herbivore eats a plant, most of the biomass is used for respiration rather than making new cells.
How is some energy transferred to the environment?
- Materials and energy are lost as waste
- Some energy is used for respiration
- A lot of energy is transferred as heat to the surroundings
Give four ways in which biomass is lost through waste.
- Herbivores cannot digest all plant material.
- Meat is easier to digest meaning carnivores eat less often.
- Carnivores cannot digest teeth, bones, etc.
- Excess protein is lost in the urine.
How is biomass lost by mammals and birds keeping a constant temperature?
Animals use energy to cool and warm the body so eat more food.
Why do things decay?
Living things are digested by microbes.
Why are decay processes important?
Decay processes release substances that plants need to grow.
How are materials cycled in a stable community?
The processes that remove materials are balanced by the processes that return materials.
What type of microbe cause decay?
Bacteria and fungi decomposers.
What animals start the decomposition process?
Detritus feeders such as worms and maggots.
What are the waste products of decomposers?
- Carbon dioxide,
- Water,
- Nutrients, all of which plants use.
What are the three conditions needed for decay?
- Moisture
- Warmth
- Plentiful supply of oxygen
Why do the decomposers need warm temperatures?
Their enzymes work most efficiently at their optimum temperature.
Why do decomposers need moist conditions?
Moisture makes it easier for the decomposers to dissolve their food.
