Exploring Energy Flow in Ecosystems

The video explains energy flow in ecosystems, highlighting the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers. It details how energy from the sun enters the ecosystem through producers and is transferred through trophic levels, with significant energy loss as heat. Decomposers break down dead materials, contributing to energy flow. An example ecosystem illustrates these concepts, showing energy reduction at each trophic level. The video concludes with a summary of the ecosystem's self-sustaining structure.

What are the three main components of an ecosystem?

• Producers, consumers, and decomposers

• Plants, animals, and bacteria

• Water, air, and soil

• Sun, moon, and stars

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What percentage of the sun's total energy enters producers?

• 10%

• 90%

• 50%

• 1%

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NGSS.MS-LS1-6

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What happens to most of the energy as it is transferred from producers to primary consumers?

• It is used for photosynthesis

• It is converted to water

• It is lost as heat

• It is stored as fat

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is the main source of energy for an ecosystem?

• Soil

• Wind

• Sun

• Water

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NGSS.MS-LS1-6

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What is the primary role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

• To produce energy

• To consume plants

• To break down dead materials

• To provide shelter

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

As energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, what happens to the amount of energy?

• It decreases

• It fluctuates

• It remains the same

• It increases

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

In a simple ecosystem, if grass produces 1000 kilocalories of energy, how much energy do primary consumers like mice or rabbits intake?

• 1 kilocalorie

• 10 kilocalories

• 100 kilocalories

• 1000 kilocalories

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is the energy intake of secondary consumers like snakes in the given example?

• 10 kilocalories

• 1 kilocalorie

• 100 kilocalories

• 1000 kilocalories

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which of the following is an example of a tertiary consumer in the given ecosystem?

• Eagle

• Snake

• Mice

• Grass

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is the energy intake of tertiary consumers like eagles in the given example?

• 1000 kilocalories

• 100 kilocalories

• 10 kilocalories

• 1 kilocalorie

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3