18 Questions
What percentage of energy is available to the next trophic level in an ecosystem?
10%
What is the term for the percentage of useable energy transferred as biomass from one trophic level to the next?
Ecological efficiency
What is the main driver of biogeochemical cycles?
The flow of energy
What is the term for the proportion of production at one trophic level that is eaten by the next trophic level?
Consumption efficiency
What is the typical number of levels in a food chain?
3-5
What is the term for the activities performed by living organisms?
Biological processes
What type of organisms are responsible for producing most of the organic nutrients for the biosphere?
Photoautotrophs
What is the primary source of energy for autotrophs?
An energy source, such as sunlight
What is the term for the breakdown of dead organic matter by bacteria and fungi?
Decomposition
Which type of organism feeds on dead remains of animals and plants?
Scavenger
What is the term for the network of interconnected paths of energy flow in an ecosystem?
Food web
Which type of organism is responsible for releasing nutrients back into the environment through the decomposition of organic matter?
Decomposer
What is the main limitation of using ecological pyramids to explain energy flow in an ecosystem?
They oversimplify energy flow
What happens to the chemical energy available at each higher trophic level due to heat loss?
It decreases by 90%
What is the purpose of the 10% Rule in the context of energy supply and food chains?
To limit the length of food chains
What is the net primary production of an ecosystem?
The amount of biomass produced minus the amount used by producers in cellular respiration
What is the primary purpose of pyramids of energy?
To show the relative amount of energy available at each trophic level
What is the main factor that sets the energy budget for ecosystems?
Primary production
Explore how energy is transferred between trophic levels in an ecosystem, and understand the concept of ecological efficiency. Learn about the loss of energy from producers to higher trophic levels and the limited energy available to top-level consumers. Test your knowledge of energy flow in food chains and webs.
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