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Chapter 14
Answers QUICK-CHECK questions
1 Identify the following as true or false. a A primary consumer is a producer.
False:
b A predator in an ecosystem is at the third trophic level.
True
c Energy moves through an ecosystem as the chemical energy of organic matter.
True
d Producers can capture and transform radiant energy.
True
e Energy is recycled within an ecosystem.
False
2 Give an example of an organism that is: a a producer in a terrestrial ecosystem
Typical producers in a terrestrial ecosystem would be expected to include flowering plants, conifers, ferns and mosses. b a producer in an aquatic ecosystem
In an aquatic ecosystem, producers would be expected to include phytoplankton and algae. c a consumer of chemical energy
A consumer of chemical energy is any herbivore, such as a leaf-eating insect, or any carnivore, such as a quoll. d a tertiary consumer
A tertiary consumer is at the fourth trophic level and would be any animal that eats a carnivore. One example would be an eagle that eats small predatory mammals. e an organism at the first trophic level.
Organisms at the first trophic level include any producer organisms, such as plants, algae and cyanobacteria.
3 Identify the following as true or false. a Producers occupy the first trophic level in an ecosystem.
True
b Energy is gained at each higher trophic level in an ecosystem.
False
c Herbivorous insects produce a greater proportion of new tissue from their food compared with herbivorous mammals.
True
4 In an ecosystem, which energy flow would be greater? a energy flow from primary to secondary consumers b energy flow into producers
In an ecosystem, (b) would be greater than (a). The energy flow into producers is expected to be greater than the energy flow from primary to secondary consumers since some energy is lost as heat energy at each trophic level, leaving less usable energy available for transfer to the next higher trophic
Answers QUICK-CHECK questions
1 Identify the following as true or false. a A primary consumer is a producer.
False:
b A predator in an ecosystem is at the third trophic level.
True
c Energy moves through an ecosystem as the chemical energy of organic matter.
True
d Producers can capture and transform radiant energy.
True
e Energy is recycled within an ecosystem.
False
2 Give an example of an organism that is: a a producer in a terrestrial ecosystem
Typical producers in a terrestrial ecosystem would be expected to include flowering plants, conifers, ferns and mosses. b a producer in an aquatic ecosystem
In an aquatic ecosystem, producers would be expected to include phytoplankton and algae. c a consumer of chemical energy
A consumer of chemical energy is any herbivore, such as a leaf-eating insect, or any carnivore, such as a quoll. d a tertiary consumer
A tertiary consumer is at the fourth trophic level and would be any animal that eats a carnivore. One example would be an eagle that eats small predatory mammals. e an organism at the first trophic level.
Organisms at the first trophic level include any producer organisms, such as plants, algae and cyanobacteria.
3 Identify the following as true or false. a Producers occupy the first trophic level in an ecosystem.
True
b Energy is gained at each higher trophic level in an ecosystem.
False
c Herbivorous insects produce a greater proportion of new tissue from their food compared with herbivorous mammals.
True
4 In an ecosystem, which energy flow would be greater? a energy flow from primary to secondary consumers b energy flow into producers
In an ecosystem, (b) would be greater than (a). The energy flow into producers is expected to be greater than the energy flow from primary to secondary consumers since some energy is lost as heat energy at each trophic level, leaving less usable energy available for transfer to the next higher trophic