23.2 Biomass and trophic levels

What do trophic levels refer to?

• Types of producers in an ecosystem

• Different types of ecosystems

• Levels of water in organisms

• The stages in the food chain

Who are usually the primary consumers in a food chain?

• Carnivores

• Producers

• Omnivores

• Herbivores

What is the role of producers in an ecosystem?

• They decompose organic material

• They regulate the water levels

• They produce food through photosynthesis

• They consume other organisms

Why is water not considered in biomass?

• Because it does not contain energy

• Because it evaporates too quickly

• Because it is not organic material

• Because its levels can fluctuate in organisms

What does a calorimeter measure?

• The water content in organisms

• The amount of sunlight absorbed by producers

• The amount of energy in an organism

• The number of organisms in an ecosystem

What is the first step in measuring biomass using a calorimeter?

• Evaporating the water content

• Calculating the energy content

• Collecting a sample of the organism

• Heating the organism to 100 degrees Celsius

What unit is used to measure the biomass of land animals?

• Grams per meter squared

• Kilograms per meter cubed

• Kilograms per meter squared

• Grams per meter cubed

What happens to the biomass at higher trophic levels?

• It decreases

• It fluctuates unpredictably

• It remains constant

• It increases exponentially

Why is biomass a better indicator of energy content than the number of organisms?

• Because it reflects the actual organic material

• Because it does not fluctuate as much

• Because it includes water content

• Because it is easier to measure

What is the significance of ensuring the mass stays the same when measuring biomass?

• It shows the sample has been contaminated

• It suggests the energy content has doubled

• It means the organism is still alive

• It indicates all water has been removed