4. energy in ecosystems

Question 1

what happens in transfers from one level to the next in a food chain?

Answer 1

the majority of energy is lost (around 90%) as heat, movement or undigested materials

this means that only a small quantity of energy (around 10%) is available to the next level for growth.

Question 2

what does a pyramid of numbers show

Answer 2

the number of organisms at each level of a food chain

Question 3

what does a pyramid of energy show

Answer 3

the total quantity of energy stored in the biomass at each level of a food chain