Trophic Levels and Food Webs

What is a food web?

• A simple chain of organisms that eat one another.

• A complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem, illustrating how energy and nutrients flow between different organisms.

• A diagram that shows the population of different species in an area.

• A list of all the plants and animals in a specific habitat.

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What is a primary consumer?

• An organism that eats producers (plants) for energy, typically herbivores (e.g., rabbits, deer).

• An organism that produces its own food through photosynthesis.

• An organism that feeds on primary consumers.

• An organism that decomposes organic material.

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How do energy pyramids relate to trophic levels?

• Energy pyramids show that energy increases as it moves up from producers to top consumers.

• Energy pyramids illustrate the amount of energy available at each trophic level, showing that energy decreases as it moves up the pyramid from producers to top consumers.

• Energy pyramids are not related to trophic levels at all.

• Energy pyramids only represent the biomass at each trophic level.

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What role do secondary consumers play in a food web?

• Organisms that produce energy from sunlight

• Organisms that eat primary consumers for energy, often carnivores or omnivores (e.g., snakes, some birds)

• Organisms that decompose dead matter

• Organisms that compete with primary producers for resources

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Define producer in an ecosystem.

• A producer is an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, serving as the base of the food chain (e.g., plants, algae).

• A producer is an organism that consumes other organisms for energy and nutrients.

• A producer is an organism that decomposes dead matter and recycles nutrients back into the ecosystem.

• A producer is an organism that relies on external sources for food and energy.

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How do food chains differ from food webs?

• Food chains are more complex and show multiple feeding relationships, while food webs are linear sequences showing how energy flows from one organism to another.

• Food chains are linear sequences showing how energy flows from one organism to another, while food webs are more complex and show multiple feeding relationships.

• Food chains and food webs are the same and can be used interchangeably.

• Food chains only include plants, while food webs include both plants and animals.

What is a trophic level?

• A position in a food chain that indicates the flow of energy and nutrients through an ecosystem.

• A type of plant that produces energy through photosynthesis.

• A level of biodiversity in an ecosystem.

• A measure of the population size in a habitat.

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What is a keystone species?

• A species that has a minor impact on its ecosystem

• A species that has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem relative to its abundance

• A species that is the most abundant in its habitat

• A species that is always at the top of the food chain

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What is the significance of biodiversity in food webs?

• Biodiversity enhances ecosystem resilience, stability, and productivity, allowing food webs to withstand changes and disturbances.

• Biodiversity reduces the number of species in an ecosystem, leading to simpler food webs.

• Biodiversity has no significant impact on food webs and ecosystem functions.

• Biodiversity only benefits certain species, while others are negatively affected.

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What is the difference between herbivores and carnivores?

• Herbivores primarily eat plants, while carnivores primarily eat other animals.

• Herbivores are larger than carnivores.

• Carnivores can eat both plants and animals, while herbivores cannot.

• Herbivores are found only in forests, while carnivores are found in deserts.