Pyramids of Biomass (T)

• What is meant by a permit of biomass?

  It refers to the mass of all organisms at a certain trophic level in a food chain.
• How is biomass lost between different trophic levels?

  Biomass is lost due to energy loss, waste products, and unabsorbed material.
• How can you calculate the efficiency of biomass transfer?

  By using the formula: efficiency = gain in biomass / total biomass intake.
• What is dry biomass and why is it more useful than wet biomass?

  • Dry biomass is the mass of organisms after removing moisture.
  • It is more useful because moisture content can vary and produce inaccurate results.
• What percentage of light energy is absorbed by producers for photosynthesis?

  Only around 1% of the light energy that falls on producers is absorbed for photosynthesis.
• What is the role of producers in a food chain?

  Producers, such as plants or algae, use light energy to carry out photosynthesis.
• What are the reasons for the decrease in biomass at each trophic level?

  • Not all material ingested is absorbed; some is excreted.
  • Absorbed biomass is converted into waste products.
  • Biomass is used for respiration and energy release.
• What is the typical percentage of biomass that passes from one trophic level to the next?

  Approximately 10% of the biomass at one trophic level passes to the next level.
• How would you calculate the efficiency of biomass transfer if a cow consumes 300 kg of grass and gains 15 kg of body mass?

  The efficiency of biomass transfer would be 0.05 or 5%.
• What factors contribute to the energy used by birds for respiration?

  • Movement
  • Maintaining a constant body temperature
  • Producing waste compounds like carbon dioxide and water