Food Webs and Ecosystem Dynamics

The video explores the concepts of food chains and food webs, emphasizing the flow of energy through trophic levels and the importance of biodiversity in ecosystems. It explains how energy decreases at each trophic level and the impact of removing organisms from a food chain. The video also highlights the complexity of food webs and the role of decomposers in ecosystems, stressing the need to protect biodiversity for ecosystem resilience.

What is the starting point of a food chain?

• Producer

• Tertiary consumer

• Secondary consumer

• Primary consumer

In an energy pyramid, what percentage of energy is typically transferred from one trophic level to the next?

• 10%

• 5%

• 25%

• 50%

What happens if a primary consumer is removed from a food chain?

• The tertiary consumers will become producers

• The energy flow will increase

• The secondary consumers may not have enough to eat

• The producers will increase

How does a food web differ from a food chain?

• A food web excludes decomposers

• A food web only includes producers

• A food web includes multiple interacting food chains

• A food web is a single linear path

What is biodiversity?

• The energy flow in a food chain

• The variety of organisms in a given area

• The number of decomposers in a food web

• The number of producers in an ecosystem

Why is biodiversity important for ecosystems?

• It decreases the number of predators

• It makes ecosystems more resilient to changes

• It reduces the need for decomposers

• It limits the number of food chains

What is one benefit of high biodiversity?

• More primary consumers

• Increased energy loss

• Greater economic benefits

• Fewer food webs

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

• They break down dead material

• They consume only living organisms

• They are primary consumers

• They produce energy

Which organisms are considered decomposers?

• Producers and consumers

• Herbivores and carnivores

• Bacteria and fungi

• Plants and algae

If every arrow in a food web eventually points to decomposers, what does this indicate?

• Decomposers are at the top of the food chain

• Decomposers recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem

• Decomposers are primary consumers

• Decomposers produce their own food