Trophic Levels Flashcards
Sun
Ultimate source of energy
Who has the most energy in a food chain?
Producers/ Autotrophs (plants)
Who has the least energy in a food chain?
The highest trophic level
Algae & Plants
Convert sunlight into glucose through photosynthesis
Net Primary Production (NPP)
the rate of energy available after respiration
Gross Primary Production (GPP)
the rate of energy produced through photosynthesis
Respiration (R)
rate of energy burned by an organism to perform normal functions
NPP
GPP minus R
Measurements of productivity
units of energy per unit area per unit time (kcal/m2/yr)
10% Rule
Only 10% of the energy from one level makes it to the next level; the other 90% is used by the organism & lost as heat
1st Law of thermodynamics
energy is never created nor destroyed
2nd Law of thermodynamics
each time energy is transferred, some of it is lost as heat