Questions and Answers
What travels through a food chain or web?
Energy
What is the ultimate energy source for all life on Earth?
The sun
Food chains start with what?
The primary energy source
The first organism in a food chain must always be what type of organism?
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Name 2 food-making processes.
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Where do chemosynthetic bacteria get their energy?
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Define herbivore.
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Herbivores are also called what?
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What are some animals called that feed on herbivores?
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Secondary consumers are eaten by a larger what?
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What kind of consumers eat secondary consumers?
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What is used to indicate the flow of energy in a food chain or food web?
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What happens to the energy as we move from step to step in a chain or web?
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Define food web.
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What is meant by trophic levels?
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Define autotroph.
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First trophic level consists of what kind of producers and what are they called?
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Name the second trophic level both names.
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Secondary consumers may be ____ eating meat or ____ that eat both plants and animals.
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What is the third trophic level called?
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What is the fourth trophic level called?
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At the fifth trophic level would be ____ consumers that eat ____ consumers.
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Give an example of three detritivores.
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What organism feeds on dead plants and animals and helps recycle them?
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Both ____ act as decomposers.
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Can an organism fill up more than one trophic level?
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In food chains and webs what trophic level must you have more of than another?
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Each trophic level has how much less energy?
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What may happen if a species goes extinct?
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What is a plant?
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Study Notes
Food Chain and Web Overview
- Energy travels through food chains and webs.
- The sun serves as the ultimate energy source for all life on Earth.
Food Chain Structure
- Food chains begin with primary energy sources, typically autotrophs or primary producers.
- The first trophic level consists of primary producers that convert sunlight or chemicals into energy.
Organism Categories
- Autotrophs synthesize their own food via photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
- Herbivores, or primary consumers, exclusively eat plants.
- Secondary consumers feed on herbivores and are also known as carnivores or omnivores.
- Tertiary consumers consume secondary consumers.
- Quaternary consumers consume tertiary consumers.
- Detrivores (e.g., vultures, worms, crabs) feed on dead organic matter, assisting in recycling nutrients.
Energy Flow
- Arrows in food chains or webs indicate energy flow.
- Energy diminishes at each trophic level, with only 10% of energy transferred to the next level.
- More autotrophs are needed than heterotrophs to maintain ecological balance.
Ecological Impact
- A species' extinction can disrupt food chains, leading to unpredictable consequences in ecosystems.
Decomposers
- Bacteria and fungi function as decomposers, recycling nutrients by breaking down dead plants and animals.
Trophic Level Dynamics
- Each trophic level represents a certain position in a food chain.
- Organisms may occupy multiple trophic levels; for example, a bear can be both a primary and secondary consumer.
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Description
This quiz covers fundamental concepts related to food chains and webs, focusing on energy flow and the organisms involved. Test your understanding of autotrophs, primary producers, and the significance of the sun in ecology. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their knowledge in biology.