Ecosystems and Food Chains

Ecosystems are the complex whole of organisms living in an area, along with their interactions.

A food chain is a representation of feeding interactions in an ecosystem, showing who dines on whom.

Aquatic plants -> Stonefly larva -> Bluegill -> Osprey

<p>Energy flows through an ecosystem by transferring from organism to organism through feeding.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Energy flows in only one direction in a food chain, as each organism eats the one below it on the chain.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>10% of the energy from the lower trophic level is transferred to the next.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Heat, metabolism by organisms, and matter not consumed can cause energy loss.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>10 kilojoules of energy would be transferred.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The remaining energy may be lost to heat, metabolism, or matter left behind.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Yes, this rule applies to energy transfers between all trophic levels.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Trophic levels are the levels through which energy flows in a food chain. They help classify organisms within an ecosystem and understand how energy is transferred. Energy flows from producers to consumers at higher trophic levels.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Producers, also known as autotrophs, create their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Examples of producers include algae, phytoplankton, and aquatic plants like duckweed or grass.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Primary consumers feed on producers and make up the second trophic level. Examples include herbivorous insects like grasshoppers. Secondary consumers feed on primary consumers and make up the third trophic level. Examples include carnivorous or omnivorous animals like robins.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tertiary consumers are organisms that feed on secondary consumers and occupy the fourth trophic level. Examples include rat snakes, which are typically predators. Quaternary consumers are apex predators that feed on tertiary consumers and can be carnivores or omnivores. Examples include hawks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A food web represents all the interconnected food chains within an ecosystem, showing how organisms in different food chains are linked through feeding relationships. It provides a more comprehensive understanding of energy flow in an ecosystem compared to a single food chain.</p> Signup and view all the answers