Food Pyramids & Trophic Levels

Front

What is a food pyramid?

Back

A food pyramid is a graphical representation of the ideal quantity and variety of foods that should be consumed for a balanced diet, illustrating the relationship between different trophic levels.

Front

What are trophic levels?

Back

Trophic levels are the hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, defined by how organisms obtain their energy, including producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers.

Front

What role do producers play in a food web?

Back

Producers, such as plants and algae, convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food web.

Front

What is the difference between primary consumers and secondary consumers?

Back

Primary consumers eat only plants (herbivores), while secondary consumers eat primary consumers (carnivores or omnivores).

Front

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

Back

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

Front

What happens to energy as you move up the energy pyramid?

Back

As you move up the energy pyramid, the amount of available energy decreases.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

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

Front

What is the significance of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the soil and supporting the growth of producers.

Front

What is the role of apex predators in a food web?

Back

Apex predators are at the top of the food web and help regulate the populations of other species, maintaining ecosystem balance.

Front

How do competition and predation affect population dynamics?

Back

Competition for resources and predation can limit population sizes and influence the distribution of species within an ecosystem.