Efficiency of Biomass Transfer

Question 1

Why isn’t all the energy from the Sun used by the plant?

Answer 1

Most of the energy from the Sun is reflected by the leaf

Question 2

How is biomass lost between trophic levels?

Answer 2

• When not all of an organism is eaten e.g. bones
• Some of the biomass is used in respiration – Respiration causes thermal energy to transfer to the environment
• Some parts of the organism cannot be digested e.g. hair and teeth
• Waste products produced by the body are lost through excretion

Question 3

Egestion

Answer 3

the process by which waste materials, such as undigested food and other indigestible substances, are eliminated from an organism’s body

Question 4

Excretion

Answer 4

the biological process by which waste products, excess substances, and toxins are removed from an organism’s body

Question 5

Why is there less biomass as you go up the trophic levels?

Answer 5

A large plant biomass can only support a small herbivore biomass, therefore only a smaller carnivore biomass can be supported

Question 6

Why is it uncommon to find food chains with more than 4 trophic levels?

Answer 6

not enough energy can be transferred to sustain life processes

Question 7

Formula to calculate the efficiency of biomass transfer

Answer 7

efficiency = (biomass available after transfer / biomass available before the transfer) X 100