Explore ecosystems, food chains, how energy flows between trophic levels, and pressing environmental issues like ozone depletion.
An ecosystem includes all living things in an area plus their physical surroundings. A food chain shows how energy passes from one organism to the next.
In the food chain above, which organism is the producer?
Grass — it makes its own food via photosynthesis
Only about 10% of the energy at one trophic level is transferred to the next; the rest is lost as heat or used up in life processes. This is why food chains rarely have more than 4-5 levels.
A producer has 10,000 J of energy. Using the 10% law, how much energy reaches the secondary consumer (2 levels up)?
100 J (10,000 → 1,000 J at the primary consumer → 100 J at the secondary consumer)
Human activity affects the environment in many ways, including depleting the protective ozone layer and generating waste that doesn't break down.
What does the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere protect us from?
Harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun
Is a plastic bag biodegradable or non-biodegradable?
Non-biodegradable — it doesn't break down naturally, which is why plastic waste persists in the environment for a very long time
1. In a food chain, is a deer a producer or a consumer?
2. Roughly what percentage of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next?
3. A primary consumer has 500 J of energy. Using the 10% law, how much reaches the next level (secondary consumer)?
4. What type of radiation does the ozone layer block?
5. Is a banana peel biodegradable or non-biodegradable?