Energy Transfer and Food Chains

The video explores trophic relationships, starting with a corn snake's feeding habits. It explains food chains and webs, highlighting the complexity and stability of ecosystems. The video discusses human diet, energy flow, and the concept of trophic and biomass pyramids, emphasizing energy loss at each trophic level and the efficiency of plant-based diets.

What is the primary role of producers in a food chain?

• To decompose organic matter

• To consume other organisms

• To regulate population sizes

• To produce energy-rich food

What is a trophic cascade?

• A pyramid showing biomass distribution

• A series of events triggered by a change in a food chain

• A method of energy transfer between trophic levels

• A type of food web with multiple interconnected chains

How does a food web differ from a food chain?

• A food web is simpler than a food chain

• A food web shows interconnected food chains

• A food web is a linear sequence of organisms

• A food web only includes producers

Why don't humans gain 2000 pounds annually despite consuming that much food?

• A significant portion is lost as waste and heat

• The body uses all the food for growth

• Most of the food is stored as fat

• The food is entirely converted to energy

What happens to energy as it moves up the trophic levels?

• It is entirely lost

• It decreases significantly

• It remains constant

• It increases at each level

What is the 10% rule in energy transfer?

• 10% of energy is lost at each trophic level

• 10% of energy is transferred to the next level

• 10% of organisms survive at each level

• 10% of biomass is converted to energy

Why are food chains typically short?

• Energy is abundant at higher levels

• Energy is lost at each trophic level

• Organisms prefer shorter chains

• Long chains are unstable

What does a biomass pyramid illustrate?

• The speed of energy transfer

• The energy flow in an ecosystem

• The number of organisms at each level

• The mass of living material at each level

Why is a plant-based diet considered more efficient ecologically?

• Animals are easier to digest

• Animals have more energy

• Plants provide more energy and nutrients directly

• Plants are less nutritious

How much grain is needed to support 50 grams of human tissue?

• 1500 grams

• 2000 grams

• 1000 grams

• 500 grams