Evolution 5.3

About how much energy in one trophic level transfers to the trophic level above it ?

10%

How many trophic levels are there in a community?

3 or 4

Carnivore

A consumer that eats only animals.

food chain

A visual map of feeding relationships and energy flow

Omnivore

An animal that eats both plants and animals

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms into simpler parts

Herbivore

An organism that eats only plants, a primary consumer

how do the roles of detritivores and decomposers differ in an ecosystem?

Detritivores eat nonliving matter and décomposérs break down nonliving matter into simpler parts that can be used by producers.

food chain vs food web

Food chain: shows linear series of feeding relationships and shows the energy transfer in a community Food web: shows paths of energy and nutrients pass among organisms or multiple food chains and complex map of feeding relationships and energy flow

What is an organisms trophic level?

It's rank in a food chain or food web

What effect would the removal of a keystone species have on an ecological community?

Removing a keystone species could change a large portion of the food web. A trophic cascade could result in when predators at high trophic levels could indirectly help organisms at low trophic levels by limiting population at immediate levels. Sea otters off the coast of Alaska declined then urchins thrived and help declined.

What is true about energy transfer in communities

most of the energy in a trophic level is lost as heat

Detrivore

organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter

Photosynthesis

process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches

trophic level

step in a food chain or food web

Why are plants considered primary producers

they capture energy from the sun through photosynthesis and make it available to other organisms when the plants are eaten

Biomass

total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level

Explain the ten percent rule

States that only about 10% of the energy combined in any given trophic levels is transferred to the next higher trophic level.

Chemosynthesis

The process primary producers use energy stored in chemical bonds to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars.

What is the ultimate source of energy for most of earths ecosystems?

The sun

keystone species

a species that has a strong or wide-ranging impact on a community

Primary producer

an organism that can capture energy from the sun or from chemicals and store it; also called autotroph

Consumer

an organism that relies on other organisms for energy and nutrients; also called heterotroph