WorksheetsEnergy Flow in an Ecosystem
Total questions: 26
Worksheet time: 55mins
The diagram below represents a food pyramid in an ecosystem.
The best explanation for the decrease in the amount of energy transferred to each succeeding level is that much of the energy is...
consumed as a food source by predators
used in photosynthesis
stored within inorganic materials for other consumers
released as heat for digestion and excretion
Which diagram below best represents the direction that energy flows through an energy pyramid?
Diagram 1
Diagram 2
Diagram 3
Diagram 4
Base your answer on the information and diagram provided, which represents the energy relationships in a forest ecosystem.
The best explanation for the decrease in the amount of energy available as one moves up the pyramid is...
animals use less energy than plants
much of the energy at each level is lost as heat
producers require more energy than consumers to survive
decomposers recycle nutrients at each level
Organisms living in a forest ecosystem rely on the Sun as a source of energy for metabolic processes. The following events occur as energy is captured by a plant and used in the metabolic processes of an herbivore.
Arrange the events in the correct sequence...
[D] → [A] → [B] → [C]
[B] → [A] → [C] → [D]
[D] → [B] → [A] → [C]
[A] → [D] → [B] → [C]
The diagram below does not represent a sustainable energy pyramid in an ecosystem because...
producers feed on herbivores in most ecosystems
ecosystems never have more than three levels of energy transfer
more energy must be available in the producer level than in the consumer levels
energy is never transferred between levels in ecosystems
Which level of the pyramid below is correctly paired with the type of organism that would most likely be found at that level in an ecosystem?
Level C - herbivores
Level A - producers
Level D - decomposers
Level B - carnivores
Which sequence best represents the flow of energy through an ecosystem?
Sun → green plants → herbivores → carnivores
consumers → carnivores → herbivores → producers
green plants → carnivores → consumers → herbivores
Sun → herbivores → producers → consumers
A food web is represented with arrows showing the flow of energy between owls, field mice, frogs, and grasses.
Which organism would receive the least amount of transferred solar energy?
field mice
grasses
frogs
owls
What is the primary source of energy for all the organisms in the ecosystem represented in the diagram below?
minerals from the rocks
light energy from the Sun
photosynthesis in the producers
respiration in the heterotrophs
The diagram below represents a food chain made up of organisms found in a field.
Which row in the chart correctly identifies characteristics that can be associated with the members of this food chain?
Row 1
Row 2
Row 3
Row 4
The diagram below represents a marine food web.
The organisms represented by X are...
carnivores
producers
decomposers
scavengers
The diagram below represents an energy pyramid.
Which organisms would most likely be found at level A?
algae
worms
mammals
birds
Base your answer to the following question on the information provided about lichens, which are composed of two organisms, a fungus and an algae that contain chlorophyll.
Lichens may live on the bark of trees or even on bare rock. They secrete acids that tend to break up the rock they live on, helping to produce soil. As soil accumulates from the broken rock and dead lichens, other organisms, such as plants, may begin to grow.
What is the role of the algae component of a lichen in an ecosystem?
parasite
producer
decomposer
herbivore
A fruit fly is classified as a consumer rather than as a producer because it is unable to...
release energy stored in organic molecules
synthesize its own food
reproduce asexually
remove wastes from its body
Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below, which represents an ameba engulfing bacteria, and on your knowledge of biology.
This ameba would most likely be classified as a...
decomposer
producer
pathogen
consumer
The diagram below represents a food web in a Meadow Environment.
Two of the herbivores represented in this food web are...
deer and mice
toads and snakes
wolves and raccoons
grasshoppers and toads
An energy pyramid containing green plants and other organisms from a food chain is represented below.
Herbivores would most likely be located in...
level I and level II
level II only
level III only
level I only
Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below and on your knowledge of biology. The diagram represents a food web.
What do the arrows in the diagram represent?
an increase in population
the flow of energy
the evolution of organisms
ecological succession
A diagram frequently used in ecological studies is shown below. This diagram can be used to represent which of the following?
mechanisms that maintain homeostasis in the plants in an ecosystem
competition among species in an ecosystem
dependency of animal survival on physical conditions in an ecosystem
loss of energy from various groups of organisms in an ecosystem
The amounts of all the organisms present in four different aquariums are shown below.
Which aquarium would be the most stable?
Base your answers on the diagram below that represents an energy pyramid in a meadow ecosystem.
Which two organisms are carnivores?
B and D
A and B
C and E
A and E
Base your answers on the diagram below that represents an energy pyramid in a meadow ecosystem.
Which species would have the largest amount of available energy in this ecosystem?
A
B
C
E
An energy pyramid is shown.
Which graph best represents the relative energy content of the levels of this pyramid?
Which condition would most likely upset the stability of an ecosystem?
A greater mass of animals than plants.
Green plants incorporating sunlight into organic compounds.
Energy constantly entering the environment.
A cycling of elements between organisms and the environment.
Which process provides the initial energy to support all the levels in the energy pyramid shown below?
Photosynthesis
Digestion
Active transport
Circulation
Proportion of Live Mature Whitebark Pine Trees Compared to Their Population in 2000
2000 → 1.00
2002 → 1.00
2004 → 0.70
2006 → 0.60
2008 → 0.40
2010 → 0.25
2012 → 0.25
1) Mark an appropriate scale, without any breaks in the data, on each labeled axis.
2) Plot the data on the grid provided. Connect the points and surround each point with a small circle.
