Food Webs and Food Chains
When drawing a food chain, always begin with __________
The Sun
Define: Producer
An organism that makes its own food.
How much energy is passed on to each level of the food pyramid?
10%
Is the following biotic or abiotic: grass
Biotic
What is the chemical formula for water?
H2O
Which direction should the arrows point in a food web?
Define: Consumer
An organism that must consume other organisms for it's nutrients.
Why are herbivores considered primary consumers?
Because they eat only plants (producers).
Is the following biotic or abiotic: sun
abiotic
What is matter?
Anything that has mass and takes up space?
Why do producers need sunlight?
Producers use sunlight to power photosynthesis, a chemical reaction used to make their food.
Define: Omnivor
An organism that consumes both producers and consumers.
Sun ---> Grasses ---> Grasshopper ---> Snake ---> Hawk
Consider the food chain above, what trophic level would the snake be?
Secondary Consumer
Is the following biotic or abiotic: bacteria
biotic
What are the reactants (what the producer starts with) and products (results) of photosynthesis?
Reactants: carbon dioxide and water. Products: glucose and oxygen
What is the role of a decomposer AND name one.
To break down dead organisms and return nutrients to the ecosystem.
Decomposers may include: bacteria, fungi, insects
Define: Food Web
A diagram that shows the complex interactions of the flow of energy in an ecosystem.
What does the remaining 90% of an organism's energy get used for? (What doesn't get transferred to the next trophic level)
The energy that doesn't transfer is used to power the organism's daily activities along with exiting the ecosystem as heat.
List 5 biotic factors in an African Savannah ecosystem.
Answers may include:
Grasses, acacia trees, ants, beetles, ant-eater, elephant, zebras, gazelles, antelope, lions, cheetah
Name the three types of matter that you drew cycles for in explore 2.
Carbon dioxide, water, and oxygen.
Which is a better representation of an ecosystem, a food web or a food chain? Give 2 pieces of evidence to support you answer.
Food webs are the best representation of an ecosystem. They include all of the organisms in an ecosystem. Food webs also include decomposers.
Define: Ecosystem
A system of living and nonliving factors in an area.
Why are trophic levels displayed using a pyramid?
A pyramid is used to represent that for every level you move up, less energy is passed on.
List 5 abiotic factors in a marine ecosystem.
Answers may include:
Sun, water, rocks, sand, nutrients, soil.
Give an example of water passing from a nonliving part of an ecosystem to a living part of an ecosystem.
Water in the soil (nonliving) being absorbed the roots of a plant (living)