Food Webs, Energy Pyramids, & Cycling Matter

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What is a food web?

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A food web is a complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem, showing how energy and nutrients flow through different trophic levels.

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What is a trophic level?

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A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web, representing the flow of energy and nutrients from producers to various levels of consumers.

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What are producers in a food web?

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Producers are organisms, like plants and algae, that create their own food through photosynthesis and form the base of the food web.

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What is the role of primary consumers?

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Primary consumers are herbivores that eat producers and are the second trophic level in a food web.

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What is a secondary consumer?

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Secondary consumers are organisms that eat primary consumers; they can be carnivores or omnivores.

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What is a tertiary consumer?

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Tertiary consumers are predators that eat secondary consumers and are typically at the top of the food chain.

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What is an energy pyramid?

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An energy pyramid is a graphical representation showing the flow of energy at each trophic level in an ecosystem, illustrating that energy decreases as it moves up the pyramid.

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How much energy is typically transferred from one trophic level to the next?

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Typically, only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next level, with the rest lost as heat.

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What is the carbon cycle?

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The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon is exchanged between the atmosphere, land, water, and living organisms, including processes like photosynthesis and respiration.

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What happens to carbon dioxide levels when fossil fuels are burned?

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When fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise due to the release of carbon stored in these fuels.