7.2 Mastery Check

Front

What does a food web illustrate in an ecosystem?

Back

A food web illustrates the feeding relationships and energy flow between different organisms in an ecosystem.

Front

What is represented by the chains of arrows in a food web?

Back

The chains of arrows represent the one-way flow of energy through the ecosystem.

Front

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

Back

About ten percent of the energy at one trophic level is passed to the next trophic level.

Front

What is a key difference between the movement of matter and the transfer of energy in an ecosystem?

Back

Only the movement of matter occurs in an unending cycle, while energy flows in one direction and is eventually lost as heat.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Front

What would happen to an ecosystem without decomposers?

Back

Without decomposers, dead matter would build up, and all populations would eventually decrease due to a lack of nutrients.

Front

Define trophic level in the context of an ecosystem.

Back

A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web that represents the flow of energy and nutrients from one level to the next.

Front

What is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems?

Back

The primary source of energy for most ecosystems is sunlight, which is captured by producers through photosynthesis.

Front

What are producers in an ecosystem?

Back

Producers are organisms, such as plants and algae, that can make their own food through photosynthesis and serve as the base of the food web.

Front

What are consumers in an ecosystem?

Back

Consumers are organisms that cannot produce their own food and must eat other organisms for energy.