Energy Flow in Ecosystems

The video explains the concepts of food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids, detailing how energy moves from producers to consumers. It highlights the complexity of food webs, the interconnectedness of ecosystems, and how energy is transferred and lost at each trophic level. Examples illustrate these concepts, showing the limitations of energy pyramids and variations in different ecosystems.

What is the primary role of producers in a food chain?

• To consume primary consumers

• To act as top predators

• To produce energy from the sun

• To decompose organic matter

How does removing a link in a food chain affect the food web?

• It has no effect

• It only affects the top predators

• It can disrupt the balance of the entire food web

• It strengthens the food web

What forms the base of an energy pyramid?

• Secondary consumers

• Primary consumers

• Top predators

• Producers

Why is there less energy available at higher trophic levels?

• Energy is created at each level

• Energy is stored indefinitely

• Energy is gained from the sun at each level

• Energy is lost as heat and through metabolic processes

What is a trophic level?

• A type of ecosystem

• A measure of energy efficiency

• A type of energy source

• A group of organisms that share the same role in a food chain

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

• 1%

• 10%

• 50%

• 100%

What happens to the energy that a whooping crane does not get from a blue crab?

• It is converted into sunlight

• It is transferred to the next predator

• It is lost as heat and through movement

• It is stored in the crab's shell

Why do energy pyramids typically have only a few trophic levels?

• Because top predators are abundant

• Because all organisms are producers

• Because energy is lost at each level

• Because energy is unlimited

In large aquatic ecosystems, where does most of the energy come from?

• From outside the system

• From the ocean floor

• From the atmosphere

• From within the system

In smaller freshwater systems, what is a significant source of energy?

• Deep-sea vents

• Riparian vegetation and organic matter

• Sunlight

• Minerals in the water