Trophic levels in an Ecosystem

Question 1

What does a foodchain show

Answer 1

it describes the feeding relationships between organisms and the resultant stages of biomass transfer

Question 2

what are trophic levels

Answer 2

the stages in a food chain

Question 3

how are trophic levels represented

Answer 3

trophic levels are represented by numbers , starting from 1 . after 1,trophic levels are numbered according to far along the organisms in the food chain

Question 4

what is trophic level 1

Answer 4

plants and algae which make their own food , through photosynthesis , called producers

Question 5

what is trophic level 2-

Answer 5

Herbivores- which eat producers , called primary consumers

Question 6

what is trophic level 3 -

Answer 6

carnivores that eat herbivores-called secondary consumers

Question 7

what is trophic level 4

Answer 7

carnivores that eat other carnvivores , called tertiary consumers

Question 8

what is an apex predator

Answer 8

A carnivore with no predators

Question 9

how do decomposers break down dead matter

Answer 9

decomposers release enzymes which catalysethe breakdown of dead material into smaller molecules

Question 10

what is biomass

Answer 10

the dry mass of all the living organisms in an area

Question 11

why is dry mass used for biomass

Answer 11

because the wet mass varies as the volume of water in the organism varies

Question 12

how do you calculate the efficiency of biomass transfer

Answer 12

energy transferred / total energy available times 100

Question 13

what percentage of the incident energy from light to photosynthesis do producers transfer

Answer 13

1 percent

Question 14

what percentage of the biomass from one trophic level is transferred to the level above it in feeding

Answer 14

approximately 10percent

Question 15

why are biomass transfers not 100% efficient

Answer 15

energy is lost through

.egestion
.excretion
.respiration
.the production of inedible bones and shells

Question 16

how does the efficiency of biomass transfers affect the number of trophic levels and the fewer organisms in higher trophic levels

Answer 16

the less efficient the transfers the fewer trophic levels and the fewer organisms in higher trophic levels

Question 17

what is a biomass pyramid

Answer 17

a pyramid that shows the total dry mass of organisms at each trophic level

.trophic level 1 , is at the bottom of the pyramid

Question 18

what is a pyramid of numbers

Answer 18

shows the number of organisms at each trophic levels