Food Chains and Food Webs Quiz

Questions and Answers

What are food chains?

Food chains show which organisms eat other organisms.

What are arrows used for in food chains?

The arrows represent the direction of the transfer of energy from one organism to the next.

Name a food chain.

Grass ---> rabbit ---> fox

What's a producer?

Organisms which can make their own food. Signup and view all the answers

What's a consumer?

An organism which can rely on consuming other organisms to obtain their energy. Signup and view all the answers

Describe a food chain.

Leaf (producer) ---> caterpillar (primary consumer, herbivore, prey) ---> bird (secondary consumer, carnivore or omnivore, predator) Signup and view all the answers

What is a herbivore?

Organisms that only eat plant material. Signup and view all the answers

What is a carnivore?

Organisms that only eat animal material. Signup and view all the answers

What is an omnivore?

An organism which eats both plants and animals. Signup and view all the answers

What is prey?

An animal that is hunted and killed by another. Signup and view all the answers

What is a predator?

An animal that naturally preys on others. Signup and view all the answers

What is a food web?

A food web shows how many food chains interlink and are dependent on each other. Signup and view all the answers

What would happen if an organism was to be taken out of a food web?

The thing it eats would increase in number, the thing that eats it may decrease, and the other thing which eats the producer may increase in number. Signup and view all the answers

What is energy transfer in a food web?

Energy is stored at each link in a food web. Signup and view all the answers

How much energy is passed on and lost?

10% of the energy is passed on, 90% is lost. Signup and view all the answers

How is the 90% of energy lost?

Through heat, movement, and undigested materials. Signup and view all the answers

Name the three types of pyramids in ecosystems.

Pyramids of numbers, pyramids of biomass, pyramids of energy. Signup and view all the answers

What are pyramids of numbers?

A pyramid of numbers can be used to show the number of organisms at each stage of a food chain. Signup and view all the answers

What is a pyramid of biomass?

Can be used to show the biomass of organisms at each stage of the food chain. Signup and view all the answers

What is a pyramid of energy?

A pyramid of energy shows the chemical energy from the bodies of all the organisms in a food chain over a particular time period. Signup and view all the answers

What is the source of energy in all ecosystems?

Light energy, from the sun. Signup and view all the answers

What's a decomposer?

Feed on dead and decaying organisms and the undigested parts of plants and animal matter in feces. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Food Chains and Food Webs

Food chains illustrate the sequence of who eats whom in an ecosystem, highlighting energy transfer between organisms.
Arrows in food chains indicate the direction of energy flow, emphasizing the transfer of energy from one organism to another.
An example of a simple food chain: Grass → Rabbit → Fox.

Producers and Consumers

Producers, such as green plants, create their own food via photosynthesis, transforming light energy into chemical energy.
Consumers are organisms that must consume other organisms to gain energy; they rely on other life forms for sustenance.

Types of Consumers

Herbivores consume only plant material.
Carnivores feed exclusively on animal matter.
Omnivores eat both plants and animals.

Predation Concepts

Prey refers to animals that are hunted and killed by predators.
Predators are animals that hunt and kill other animals for food.

Food Webs

Food webs demonstrate the interconnectedness of multiple food chains within an ecosystem, showing dependencies among organisms.
Removing an organism from a food web impacts population dynamics: its prey may increase, while its predators may decrease.

Energy Transfer in Ecosystems

Energy is stored at each link in a food web and transforms through various stages.
Only 10% of energy is transferred to the next trophic level; 90% is lost, mainly as heat, movement, and undigested materials.

Pyramids of Energy, Biomass, and Numbers

Three types of ecological pyramids:
- Pyramids of numbers show the quantity of organisms at each trophic level, typically increasing as one moves up the food chain, though exceptions exist (e.g., one tree serving many caterpillars).
- Pyramids of biomass indicate the total mass of organisms at each level. Although some producers can grow rapidly, this doesn't always reflect true biomass at a given moment.
- Pyramids of energy accurately display the energy available at each level over time, producing a consistently true pyramid shape.

Sources of Ecosystem Energy

Light energy from the sun acts as the primary energy source for all ecosystems.

Decomposers

Decomposers break down dead organic matter and waste, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem, and play a critical role in nutrient cycling.

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Description

This quiz focuses on understanding food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids. It covers essential concepts such as the definition of food chains and the direction of energy flow represented by arrows. Test your knowledge with this informative set of flashcards.