46.3 Food Webs and Trophic Pyramids

What is generally true about biomass and energy as we move from one trophic level to the next?

Not all energy is transferred to the next trophic level. As energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, some is lost to heat, work, and general inefficiency of consumers. This results in less energy available at each trophic level as you move up the trophic pyramid.

Which group in a food web is responsible for returning inorganic compounds back to the environment?

decomposers

A community of organisms and the physical environment it occupies are known together as a(n):

ecosystem

A _____ depicts the flow of carbon through an ecosystem, whereas a _____ depicts the transfer of energy.

food web; trophic pyramid

Organisms that take up inorganic nutrients and convert them to organic molecules such as carbohydrates and proteins are called:

primary producers.

The broadest level in a trophic pyramid is primarily composed of:

primary producers.

Energy flow through ecosystems can be depicted using a(n):

trophic pyramid.

True or false? Whereas food chains show linear energy transfer between organisms, food webs depict more realistically what occurs in an ecosystem.

true