Ecology: Food Webs and Energy Flow

What is a food web?

• A simple linear sequence of organisms that eat one another.

• A complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.

• A type of food chain that only includes plants.

• A diagram that shows the energy flow in a single species.

Why is biodiversity important in an ecosystem?

• Biodiversity increases resilience, stability, and productivity of ecosystems.

• Biodiversity decreases competition among species.

• Biodiversity leads to a uniform environment.

• Biodiversity reduces the number of species in an ecosystem.

What happens to the phytoplankton population if seals that eat fish are added to the ecosystem?

• The phytoplankton population would decrease.

• The phytoplankton population would increase.

• The phytoplankton population would remain the same.

• The phytoplankton population would fluctuate unpredictably.

Why are there rarely more than three or four trophic levels in any food chain?

• Because there is not enough energy for higher trophic levels.

• Because higher trophic levels are less efficient at energy transfer.

• Because most organisms can only survive at lower trophic levels.

• Because of the limited number of species in an ecosystem.

Define producers in an ecosystem.

• Organisms that produce their own food, typically through photosynthesis, such as plants.

• Organisms that consume other organisms for energy.

• Organisms that decompose dead matter.

• Organisms that rely on external sources for food.

What is a predator-prey relationship?

• A relationship where two organisms cooperate for mutual benefit.

• A relationship where one organism (the predator) hunts and eats another organism (the prey).

• A relationship where organisms compete for the same resources.

• A relationship where organisms live in the same habitat without interacting.

What is biomass in an ecosystem?

• The total mass of living matter within a given area or volume.

• The total number of species in a given area.

• The amount of energy produced by plants through photosynthesis.

• The total volume of water in an ecosystem.

What is the role of autotrophs in an ecosystem?

• Autotrophs, or producers, convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis.

• Autotrophs are organisms that consume other organisms for energy.

• Autotrophs are responsible for decomposing organic matter in the ecosystem.

• Autotrophs help in regulating the temperature of the ecosystem.

Explain the concept of energy flow in an ecosystem.

• Energy flows from consumers to producers and then to decomposers, with energy increasing at each trophic level.

• Energy flows from producers to consumers and then to decomposers, with energy decreasing at each trophic level.

• Energy flows in a circular manner, with no loss of energy at any trophic level.

• Energy flows only from decomposers to producers, with energy remaining constant.

What is a food chain?

• A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

• A random collection of plants and animals in an ecosystem.

• A diagram showing the relationship between different species in a habitat.

• A list of all the food items consumed by a particular species.