Trophic Levels and Biomass in Ecology

The video tutorial explains trophic levels in ecosystems, detailing the roles of producers, consumers, and apex predators. It provides a food chain example involving grass, crickets, shrews, snakes, and an owl. The role of decomposers in breaking down organic matter is discussed. The concept of biomass and its transfer between trophic levels is explained, highlighting that only 10% of biomass is transferred to the next level. A pyramid of biomass is used to visually represent the relative amounts of biomass in a food chain.

Which organisms are found at the first trophic level in an ecosystem?

• Decomposers

• Herbivores

• Carnivores

• Producers

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

• They consume herbivores.

• They break down organic matter from plants and animals.

• They produce their own food through photosynthesis.

• They are apex predators.

How much biomass is typically transferred from one trophic level to the next?

• 100%

• 10%

• 1%

• 50%

What does a pyramid of biomass represent?

• The number of organisms at each trophic level.

• The types of species in an ecosystem.

• The energy flow between trophic levels.

• The relative amounts of biomass in successive trophic levels.

Why is it challenging to represent biomass at higher trophic levels in a pyramid of biomass?

• Because the energy flow is too complex.

• Because there are too many species at higher levels.

• Because the biomass is too small to represent accurately.

• Because the biomass is too large to measure.