5.3 Energy and Ecosystems

• Key components of an ecosystem include producers, consumers, decomposers, and the flow of energy
• Match the trophic level with its description:

  Producers ↔️ Convert sunlight into chemical energy

  Primary Consumers ↔️ Feed on producers

  Secondary Consumers ↔️ Feed on primary consumers

  Decomposers ↔️ Recycle dead organic matter
• Give an example of a producer in an ecosystem.

  Plants
• Food chains typically exceed five trophic levels due to efficient energy transfer.

  False
• What is the key concept in understanding energy transfers through an ecosystem?

  Energy flow through trophic levels
• Why is energy transfer between trophic levels inefficient?

  Energy is lost as heat
• Primary consumers receive only 10% of the energy from producers.

  True
• Arrange the trophic levels in a food chain in the correct order:

  1️⃣ Producers

  2️⃣ Primary Consumers

  3️⃣ Secondary Consumers

  4️⃣ Tertiary Consumers
• Energy pyramids illustrate decreasing energy or biomass at higher trophic levels.


  True
• A food chain is a linear structure, while a food web is a network structure.


  True
• Ecological efficiency is typically around 10%
• Understanding ecological efficiency is crucial for comprehending the limitations of energy transfer
• Nutrient cycles maintain ecosystem balance by ensuring producers have access to essential nutrients.

  True
• Climate change can affect the productivity of producers by altering temperature and precipitation patterns.


  True
• Producers in an ecosystem typically use photosynthesis to produce food.

  True
• Decomposers break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients
• Only about 10% of energy is transferred between trophic levels due to losses from heat, respiration, and waste
• Order the trophic levels from highest to lowest energy transfer efficiency:

  1️⃣ Producers

  2️⃣ Primary Consumers

  3️⃣ Secondary Consumers

  4️⃣ Tertiary Consumers
• Producers capture 100% of solar energy through photosynthesis.


  True
• What is an ecosystem defined as?

  Living organisms and their environment
• What is a food chain?

  A linear sequence of energy transfer
• What does ecological efficiency measure?

  Energy transfer between trophic levels
• A food web is more stable than a food chain
• Only about 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.


  True
• What role do decomposers play in ecosystems?

  Recycle essential nutrients
• How does deforestation affect ecosystems?

  Reduces producer populations
• What is essential for preserving ecosystem function and resilience?

  Adopting sustainable practices
• What is the definition of an ecosystem?

  Living organisms and environment
• What do primary consumers in an ecosystem feed on?

  Producers
• The flow of energy through trophic levels is a fundamental process in ecosystems.


  True
• What is the main reason for energy loss between trophic levels?

  Respiration
• Producers capture energy from sunlight
• Only about 10% of the energy from producers is transferred to primary consumers.
• What type of consumers are secondary consumers?

  Carnivores
• A food web is a more complex network showing multiple interconnected food chains.
• Match the feature with the correct type of ecological structure:

  Simple complexity ↔️ Food chain

  Multiple interactions ↔️ Food web
• What is a food web?

  A complex feeding network
• What do energy pyramids illustrate?

  Decreasing energy at levels
• What is the numerical value typically associated with ecological efficiency?

  10%
• Carbon is cycled through photosynthesis and respiration