Pyramids and energy Flashcards
What does a pyramid of numbers measure?
The amount of organisms in each troph.
What does a pyramid of biomass measure?
The total mass of each troph.
What is the first thing in a food chain called? What type of organism is it?
A producer, or autotroph. It is always a plant.
What is each level in a food chain called?
A trophic level - e.g troph 1, troph 2, etc…
What shape is a pyramid of biomass?
It is always a pyramid.
What happens between each troph in a pyramid of biomass?
There is a loss of energy, so there is less energy as you go higher up the pyramid. This is why there is less biomass higher up the pyramid.
What comes after a producer in a food chain?
Primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers.
Why is it more environmentally friendly to be a vegetarian?
If you eat a producer, that is only one trophic level which means more biomass is conserved and there is less energy waste within the food chain. If you eat a cow, for example, that adds another trophic level, which requires more energy wastage.
How could you run an energy efficient farm?
The farm needs to be near main roads so less chemicals are released from cars or lorries when the farm’s products are transferred to shops.
Animals should be put in barns so they will be warmer and won’t need as much food because they won’t need as much energy to keep warm. This means less food will need to be bought and will increase the profits.
