Pyramids of Biomass

Question 1

A trophic level is a ______ level

Answer 1

A trophic level is a FEEDING level

Question 2

What is the entomology of the morpheme ‘trough’?

Answer 2

It’s Greek- meaning ‘nourishment’

Question 3

What 2 things are there less of every time you move up a trophic level in a food chain?

Answer 3

1. Energy

2. Biomass

Question 4

Are there usually more or less organisms every time you move up a trophic level?

Answer 4

There’s usually LESS

Question 5

Give an example of when it is NOT true that there are less organisms as you go up a trophic level

Answer 5

If 500 flees are feeding on 1 fox

Question 6

What does ‘biomass’ mean?

Answer 6

The mass (amount) of living material

Question 7

Why is it better to think about biomass than number of organisms when looking at food chains?

Answer 7

Because the biomass (basically) always goes down as you go up the trophic levels of a food chain

Question 8

What does each bar on a pyramid of biomass show?

Answer 8

The total MASS OF LIVING MATERIAL at that trophic level

Question 9

What shape are biomass pyramids practically always (unlike number pyramids)?

Answer 9

Pyramid-shaped

Question 10

What does each bar represent?

1
2
3
etc

Answer 10

1. The producer (i.e. a plant)
2. Primary consumer
3. Secondary consumer

etc