Random
What is the term for an organism that produces its own food, typically through photosynthesis, forming the base of a food chain?
autotroph
If a food chain is: Grass → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake. What is the trophic level occupied by the grasshopper?
primary consumer
What type of consumer feeds on both plants and animals? Give a common example.
omnivore - example must work
According to the "10% Rule," about how much energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, with the rest typically lost as heat or used for metabolic processes?
about 10%
What would be the most likely immediate effect on the ecosystem if a new disease wiped out the entire population of **primary consumers**?
The producer population would increase, and the secondary consumer population would decrease.
In a marine food web, tiny photosynthetic organisms that form the base of the food chain are called:
phytoplankton
In an ecosystem, which level of consumer directly feeds on the producers?
primary consumers
What is the key difference between a **food chain** and a **food web**?
food chains are a single pathway of energy and food webs are many food chains put together to show multiple energy paths
Which two groups of organisms play a crucial role in breaking down dead organic matter and waste, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem?
scavenger and decomposer
What is the primary role of an organism at the first trophic level in an ecosystem?
Which of the following is an example of an organism acting as a **secondary consumer**?
A. A wolf eating a rabbit
B. A hawk eating a snake
C. Algae using sunlight to make food
D. A cow grazing on grass
A. A wolf eating a rabbit
What happens to the **total biomass** of organisms as you move from the bottom to the top of an ecological pyramid?
it will decrease
An animal that has a diet consisting only of plants is classified as what type of consumer?
herbivore
When you see and arrow ----->, what does it mean?
there is a transfer of energy
An animal that feeds exclusively on other animals is called a what?
carnivore
In an ecological **pyramid of energy**, which level is always the smallest? and Why?
the top --> least amount of energy available
Why is the **pyramid of energy** always upright, never inverted?
A. All living organisms have the same energy needs.
B. Energy is constantly created at the higher trophic levels.
C. Only about 10% of energy transfers to the next level, meaning each step must be smaller.
D. Producers are always larger than consumers.
C. Only about 10% of energy transfers to the next level, meaning each step must be smaller.
A mountain lion is an **apex predator** in its ecosystem. What does this mean about its position in the food web?
A. It is a primary consumer, eating only plants.
B. It has multiple predators that feed on it.
C. It acts only as a decomposer when it dies.
D. It is at the top of the food chain with no natural predators.
D. It is at the top of the food chain with no natural predators.
What major concept illustrates the complex, interconnected feeding relationships among multiple organisms in an ecosystem, as opposed to a simple, single-pathway chain?
food web
If a fungus is breaking down a dead tree, what is its primary ecological role?
decomposer
If a caterpillar eats a leaf, and a bird eats the caterpillar, what is the caterpillar's trophic level classification?
primary consumer
In the energy pyramid, why are there typically fewer organisms and less total biomass at the top consumer levels compared to the bottom (producer) level?
There is less energy available the higher you go and therefore there HAS to be less population.
An organism is classified as a **tertiary consumer**. What does it primarily eat?
secondary consumers
Which of the following organisms can occupy **multiple trophic levels** in a food web?
A. A primary consumer (Herbivore)
B. A grass plant (Producer)
C. A wolf (Strict Carnivore)
D. A crow (Omnivore)
D. A crow (Omnivore)
What is the name of the ecological model that shows how energy is lost at each level as it is transferred from producers to consumers?
energy pyramid
In a food web that includes: Algae → Tadpole → Heron → Alligator. The **Alligator** is acting as a:
Tertiary consumer
Organisms that feed on dead organic matter, such as fallen leaves, dead animals, and waste, are specifically called:
decomposers
The **10% Rule** in ecology describes the typical amount of energy that is transferred from one trophic level to the next. Where does the majority of the remaining energy go? (I am looking for 2 things!)
the other 90% is used in life processes or lost as heat
Which of the following organisms would be classified as an **omnivore**?
A. A lion (eats zebras and other animals)
B. A rabbit (eats grass and clover)
C. A deer (eats grasses and shrubs)
D. A bear (eats berries, fish, and small mammals)
D. A bear (eats berries, fish, and small mammals)
If 10,000 kcal of energy is available at the producer level, approximately how much energy would be available to the **secondary consumers**?
100 kcal
What would be the effect on the **primary consumer** population if a tertiary consumer were removed from a food web?
A. The secondary consumer population would decrease, causing the primary consumers to increase.
B. The primary consumer population would immediately decrease.
C. The primary consumer population would remain unchanged.
D. The secondary consumer population would increase, causing the primary consumers to decrease.
D. The secondary consumer population would increase, causing the primary consumers to decrease.
Why is a **food web** a more accurate representation of energy flow than a **food chain**?
A. A food web includes abiotic factors, while a food chain does not.
B. Most organisms rely on a single, linear food source.
C. It shows that organisms often eat and are eaten by more than one type of organism.
D. It accurately calculates the 10% energy transfer rule.
C. It shows that organisms often eat and are eaten by more than one type of organism.
The term **heterotroph** is a synonym for which major ecological role?
consumer
What is the term that describes the relationship between a **carnivore** and its prey?
TERM --> not predator and prey (this term is used to describe a predator and prey situation)
predation --> predator and prey
Organisms that are capable of performing **chemosynthesis** instead of photosynthesis are most likely the primary producers in which environment?
Deep sea hydrothermal vents
A food chain typically involves a maximum of four or five trophic levels. What is the main reason for this limit?
A. The primary consumers eat all the producers too quickly.
B. The ecosystem runs out of organisms to eat.
C. The 90% energy loss at each step leaves too little energy to support higher levels.
D. Decomposers are unable to break down organisms at the highest levels.
C. The 90% energy loss at each step leaves too little energy to support higher levels.
In an ecological **pyramid of energy**, which level is always the largest? and Why?
the bottom --> most amount of energy available