Everglades Trophic Levels & Food Pyramids

What is the primary reason the Everglades is dominated by plants?

• The presence of alligators discourages other large animals

• Because plants are the primary producers in the ecosystem

• Due to the large number of herbivores

• Because of the high humidity and rainfall

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NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is the first trophic level in a food pyramid?

• Tertiary consumers

• Producers

• Secondary consumers

• Primary consumers

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which type of organism belongs to the second trophic level?

• Primary Consumers: herbivores

• Apex Consumers

• Small Carnivores

• Predators

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What rule explains why there can't be too many links in a food chain?

• The 50% Rule

• The 10% Rule

• The Energy Conservation Rule

• The Biomass Distribution Rule

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Why is a food pyramid shaped the way it is?

• It's purely a symbolic representation

• Because of the decreasing number of organisms at each trophic level

• To represent the hierarchical structure of ecosystems

• Due to the increasing amount of energy at each level

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What organisms are considered the foundation of the food pyramid discussed?

• Producers

• Top predators

• Herbivores

• Decomposers

Which of the following is NOT a reason much of the energy consumed by an organism does not pass to the next trophic level?

• It is excreted as waste

• It is stored indefinitely within the organism

• It is used in digestion and metabolic processes

• It passes out into the environment as heat energy

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What makes the top predators, such as the American alligator, so special in the food pyramid?

• They are the most numerous

• They have no natural enemies

• They require a large biomass at the bottom to support them

• They are the primary producers

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Why are decomposers considered important in the ecosystem?

• They consume the most energy

• They prey on top predators

• They convert dead material back into soil

• They are the largest animals in the ecosystem

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is the role of periphyton in the Everglades ecosystem?

• It is a top predator

• It is a secondary consumer

• It is a primary consumer

• It is a producer

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3