Trophic levels in an ecosystem - done

Question 1

What do trophic levels do?

Answer 1

Describe the position of an organism in a food chain, web or pyramid

Question 2

What are producers?

Answer 2

Plants and algae - produce their own organic nutrients and biomass using energy from sunlight

Question 3

What are primary consumers?

Answer 3

Herbivores - feed on producers

Question 4

What are secondary consumers?

Answer 4

Predators - feed on primary consumers

Question 5

What are tertiary consumers?

Answer 5

Predators - feed on secondary consumers

Question 6

What are quaternary consumers?

Answer 6

Predators - feed on tertiary consumers

Question 7

Energy transfers steps through trophic levels

Answer 7

1. Energy flows from the Sun to the first trophic level (producers) in the form of light
2. Producers convert light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis
3. Chemical energy is then transferred to primary consumers as they consume (eat) producers
4. The chemical energy is then transferred from one consumer to the next as they eat one another
5. Apex predators are at the very top of the food chain – they are carnivores with no predators. The chemical energy stored within apex predators can be passed on to decomposers when apex predators die and are decomposed

Question 8

How do decomposers break down dead material?

Answer 8

• Secreting digestive enzymes onto the surface of the dead organism
• These enzymes break down the dead matter into small soluble food molecules
• These molecules are then absorbed by the decomposers

Question 9

What is biomass?

Answer 9

The mass of living tissues (or recently dead tissues that have not yet been decomposed) that a plant or animal is made up of

Question 10

How is biomass lost from one energy level to the next? (7)

Answer 10

• not all biomass can be eaten (bones, hooves, claws)
• lots of glucose is used in respiration
• urea
• fececs
• growth
• movement
• heat loss

Question 11

How to find the effeciency of biomass transfers?

Answer 11

(biomass transferred to next level / biomass available at previous level) x 100

Question 12

How to find efficiency of biomass production?

Answer 12

(useful energy / total input energy) x100 (for %)