Food Webs and Ecology Pyramids

Front

What is an Apex Predator?

Back

An apex predator is a predator at the top of a food chain, with no natural predators of its own. Example: Orca.

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What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem.

Front

What is the role of producers in an ecosystem?

Back

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

Front

Define carnivore.

Back

A carnivore is an organism that primarily eats meat or the flesh of other animals.

Front

What is an energy pyramid?

Back

An energy pyramid is a graphical representation showing the flow of energy at different trophic levels in an ecosystem.

Front

How does energy flow in a food chain?

Back

Energy flows from producers to primary consumers, then to secondary consumers, and so on, ultimately reaching apex predators.

Front

What is biomass?

Back

Biomass is the total mass of living matter within a given area or volume, often used to measure the productivity of an ecosystem.

Front

What factors affect the biomass of a population?

Back

Factors include availability of nutrients, sunlight, water, and the presence of predators.

Front

What is a secondary consumer?

Back

A secondary consumer is an organism that eats primary consumers; they are typically 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 is transferred from one trophic level to the next.