Flow of Energy in a Food Chain

Which of these is the BEST explanation of how decomposers cycle matter

in an ecosystem?

• Decomposers depend on sunshine to produce their own food and provide

  energy to consumers.

• Decomposers are top consumers that feed on other organisms that eat

  various plants.

• Decomposers start the energy flow in an ecosystem, providing energy to

  both producers and composers.

• Decomposers feed on the remains of producers and consumers and return

  nutrients to the soil so new plants can live.

How would removing primary consumers affect a food chain in an environment?

• The populations of secondary consumers would decrease.

• The populations of secondary consumers would increase.

• Producers in the environment would decrease.

• Removing primary consumers will not affect a food chain.

A pond ecosystem contains small fish, algae, birds that eat fish, and large fish.

Which sequence correctly represents the flow of energy in this pond ecosystem?

• Sun → fish-eating bird → large fish → small fish → algae

• algae → Sun → small fish → large fish → fish-eating bird

• Sun → algae → small fish → large fish → fish-eating bird

• fish-eating bird → large fish → small fish → algae → Sun

In a grassland ecosystem, there's a food chain consisting of:

grass → grasshopper → mouse → hawk

Which statements are true about the flow of energy in this grassland food chain? Select TWO

correct answers.

• Energy flows from the grass to the grasshopper, then to the mouse, and finally to the hawk.

• The hawk creates new energy when it consumes the mouse.

• The grasshopper has more energy available to it than the mouse.

• Energy is transferred from one organism to another.

In the Arctic, a delicate food chain exists, consisting of algae, fish, seals, and polar bears.

If the population of small fish in this Arctic food chain suddenly decreased, what would most likely

happen to the energy flow in the ecosystem?

• The algae population would decrease, providing more energy to the larger fish.

• The seal population would increase due to more available energy from larger fish.

• The polar bear population would be unaffected as they don't eat fish directly.

• Less energy would be available to seals, potentially affecting polar bears as well.

In a garden food chain, we have:

Sunflower → Bee → Spider → Bird

Which statements are true about the flow of energy and the role of the bee in this food chain?

Select TWO correct answers.

• The bee creates energy for the sunflower through pollination.

• Energy flows from the sunflower to the bee as it feeds on nectar.

• The bee transfers energy directly from the sunflower to the bird.

• The spider receives energy from eating the bee in this food chain.

A student is studying animals in Big Bend National Park. She learns that roadrunners eat rock

squirrels, and rock squirrels eat mesquite beans. How would the student show the correct flow of energy for this food chain?

• Roadrunner → Rock squirrel → Mesquite beans

• Mesquite beans → Roadrunner → Rock squirrel

• Rock squirrel → Mesquite beans → Roadrunner

• Mesquite beans → Rock squirrel → Roadrunner

In a kelp forest ecosystem, scientists have identified this food chain:

Kelp → Sea Urchin → Sea Otter

Bacteria in the water break down dead organisms.

Which statements are true about the roles of organisms and energy flow in this kelp forest food

chain? Select TWO correct answers.

• Kelp is a producer, creates energy from sunlight for the food chain.

• Sea urchins are producers because they make their own food.

• Sea otters are secondary consumers, getting energy from eating sea urchins.

• Bacteria are decomposers but don't participate in the energy flow of the food chain.

In a vast grassland ecosystem, various animals form a complex food chain.

Sun → Grass → Grasshopper → Mouse → Snake → Eagle

Based on the grassland food chain shown, which statements correctly describe the flow of energy?

Select TWO correct answers.

• Energy flows from the grass to the eagle directly.

• The grasshopper receives energy by eating the grass.

• The snake obtains energy by consuming the mouse.

• Energy is created by the mouse and passed to the snake.

In a Texas river ecosystem, there's a food chain:

Water Plants → Minnow → Bass → Osprey

During a hot summer, some of the water plants die off. How does this likely affect the flow of

energy in this food chain?

• It increases the energy available to ospreys.

• It decreases the energy flowing from minnows to bass.

• It reduces the energy available at the start of the food chain.

• It has no effect on the energy flow in the food chain.