Energy Flow through Ecosystems assignment with HHMI

Energy Flow through Ecosystems
assignment with HHMI

By Carissa Hale

Energy Flow through Ecosystems

Open the activity by clicking on the link above or access it through Google Classroom.

These slides will have tips for doing the energy calculations if needed and you'll also answer some of the questions from the activity here to get credit for going through the activity!

A separate window will open with these headings across the top: Energy Flow, Solar System, Global, Producer, Food Chain, and Summary.
Watch the opening video, either with headphones or play it silently with the CC in English or follow along with the Transcript button.
Answer the question on
the next slide after
watching the video.

Click "Start Interactive"

Open Ended

How does the number and total biomass of organisms at the base of a food web compare with the number and total biomass of organisms at the top? Explain your thoughts on this difference.

Multiple Choice

Answer this question after you have answered it in the activity and seen the correct answer.

Guess how much of the Sun's energy makes it to Earth

• 10%

• 1%

• 0.1%

• <0.01%

Dropdown

Observe the Map and Graph in the activity and consider which line will best correspond with each location. Hints: LInes 1 and 2 both represent locations that get less solar energy in June and July. Lines 4 and 5 have the most variable amounts of energy. Once you've gotten them all correct in the activity, input your answers here.

Line 1 represents ​​

Select answer

Line 2 represents ​ ​

Select answer

Line 3 represents ​

Select answer

Line 4 represents ​

Select answer

Line 5 represents ​

Select answer

Open Ended

Watch the 33 second video on the page with the heading "Energy Balance" (same page as Question 3 in the activity), then answer this question:

What gases accumulate in the Earth's atmosphere and absorb the irradiated heat from the Earth's surface?

• Incoming Energy at TOA = Incoming Energy at Surface / % Reaching Surface x 100
  

• Incoming Energy at Surface = Incoming Energy at TOA x % Reaching Surface / 100
  

• % Absorbed/reflected by atmosphere = 100% - % Reaching Surface
  

• % Reaching the Surface = 100% - % Absorbed/reflected by atmosphere

• Example for the Gulf of Mexico:

• % Reaching the surface = 100 - 59 = 41%

• Incoming Energy at TOA = 156/41 x 100 = 380

​

Formulas for Question 3 in activity

Match

Match the energy calculations to the correct ecosystem

• Incoming energy at TOA in the Temperate Forest (125/45x100)

• Incoming energy at surface in Tropical Rainforest (415x47/100)

• Incoming energy at surface in Tropical Savanna (401x56/100)

278

195

225

• 278

• 195

• 225

Open Ended

Why might the percentage of energy reaching Earth’s surface vary among locations?

Open Ended

Name the 3 examples of producers shown in the example picture at the beginning of the "Producer" section.

Match

Match the types of electromagnetic radiation to their descriptions below:

• 95% of the UV radiation from the Sun that reaches Earth's surface

• The human body needs some of this radiation to produce Vitamin D, but too much will cause sunburns and DNA mutations.

• All of this radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

• 380-700 nm

• Not visible, but detected as heat

UVA

UVB

UVC

Visible light

Infrared

• UVA

• UVB

• UVC

• Visible light

• Infrared

Open Ended

Answer this question when you get to the page with the Photosynthetically Active Radiation Graph:

Using this graph as evidence, explain why most land plants appear green. Your answer should include which wavelengths are absorbed most and least efficiently by chloroplasts.

Categorize

Options (5)

CO2

H2O

Sugars

O2

Photons (light energy)

Organize these options into the right categories

Photosynthesis Inputs

Photosynthesis Outputs

Reorder

Reorder the following steps of Cellular Respiration

• Glycolysis

• Citric Acid Cycle

• Electron Transport Chain

1

2

3

• 1
• 2
• 3

Dropdown

Complete the Table Calculations for Question 5 in the HHMI activity. Once you have them correct, select the correct options here. Note that there are some extra options here. The formulas are below.

Energy converted to producer biomass = Solar energy at Earth's surface x 0.0125

Eneregy converted to producer biomass in one year = Energy converted to producere biomass x 7,658.6

The Gulf of Mexico has ​

Select answer

W/m2 of Energy converted to producer biomass and ​

Select answer

kcal/m2 in one year.

The Temperate Forest has ​

Select answer

kcal/m2 in one year.

The Tropical Rainforest has ​

Select answer

W/m2 of Energy converted to producer biomass.

The Tropical Savanna has ​

Select answer

W/m2 of Energy converted to producer biomass.

Open Ended

What examples are given in the activity for primary consumers and secondary consumers?

Open Ended

What examples are given in the activity for detritivores and how do they get their energy?

Open Ended

How does latitude relate to productivity?

Dropdown

Use the info and sample calculations in Question 6 to fill-in-the-blanks below:

The energy to secondary consumer is ​

Select answer

W/m2.

The enrgy to primary consumer is ​

Select answer

W/m2.

The enrgy to producers is ​

Select answer

W/m2.

The photosynthetically active radiation is ​

Select answer

W/m2.

The Solar energy at Earth's surface is ​

Select answer

W/m2.

Open Ended

Why is there less energy at the top of the food web (or food chain)? Similarly, why is there less biomass (for example, fewer animals) at higher levels of food chains?