KA4- Energy In Ecosystems

Question 1

How is energy used in food chains?

Answer 1

The energy is transferred from one level to the next.
Only a very small quantity is used for growth and is therefore very little available at the next level in a food chain.

Question 2

How is energy lost in food chains

Answer 2

The majority of the energy gained by a consumer is lost as heat, movement or undigested materials.

Question 3

What are pyramids of numbers?

Answer 3

A diagram showing the number of organisms by the length of each bar at each level in a food chain
As you move up the food chain, the size of the organism and the number decreases

Question 4

Why do pyramids of numbers sometimes have irregular shapes?

Answer 4

Producers can be a plant large as a tree or bush which can support a whole food chain therself

Question 5

What happens when the tertiary consumer is a parasite?

Answer 5

The tertiary consumer is made of loads of very small individuals and for this reason pyramids of energy are better

Question 6

Explain parasites in food chains?

Answer 6

They live in or on host organism and benefit by taking energy or resources from the host which is therefore harmed

Question 7

What are pyramids of energy?

Answer 7

A diagram which shows how much energy is available at each level of a food chain
Measured in kilojoules (KJ) of dry mass per square metre per year
The energy available always decreases