Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Approximately _____% of the available energy is passed from organisms at one trophic level to organisms at the next trophic level.

10

Which process is used by most producers to turn sunlight into food energy?

A. photosynthesis

Which statement best contrasts food chains and food webs?

B. Food chains show a single path of energy in an ecosystem, and food webs show all the overlapping food chains in that ecosystem.

The organisms in a food chain are listed in order of trophic level from left to right. Based on the food chain, if a hawk acquires 50 calories of energy, how much energy did the grasshopper get from the plant?

C. 50,000 calories

Which organisms obtain energy from dead or decaying matter? Select two options.

C. Earthworms D. Bacteria

Maggots get their energy by breaking down dead and decaying animals. What are maggots?

C. decomposers

Which of these is a producer?

C. fern

Nida draws a diagram with insects, birds, and mice. She shows the mice eating grass; hawks, snakes, and toads eating the insects; and foxes, hawks, and snakes eating the birds and mice. The snakes are also eating the toads. Which best describes the diagram?

C. food web

The diagram shows a food web. What would most likely happen to the food web if the amount of grass drastically decreased?

D. The entire food web would be affected.

Which represents the amount of potential food available at each trophic level?

D. biomass pyramid