Pyramids of Biomass

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What is a trophic level?
A feeding level.
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As you move up a trophic level in a food chain, what happens to the number of organisms, the biomass and the energy?
There's less energy, less biomass and fewer organisms as you move up a level.
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What does biomass mean?
Biomass means the mass of living material.
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Why is it better to use biomass instead of the number of organisms in a food chain?
The number of organisms can sometimes increase as you move up a level in the food chain, e.g. 500 fleas feeding on one fox.
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What does each bar on a pyramid of biomass show?
The mass of living material at that stage of the food chain - how much all the organisms at each level would weigh if you put them all together.
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What do the bars of pyramids of biomass represent?
Big bar along the bottom represents the producer (i.e. a plant), the next bar represents the primary consumer (animal that eats the plant), then the secondary consumer (animal that eats the primary consumer) and so on up the food chain.
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Interpret the food chain: producer - pear tree, primary consumer - aphids, secondary consumer - ladybirds, tertiary consumer - partridge.
Tree is much large than an aphid - lots of aphids feeding on a few trees. Many ladybirds eating the aphids. A few partridges eating the ladybirds. Biomass & energy decreasing as you ascend levels, tree can fix some of Sun's energy using its leaves.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

As you move up a trophic level in a food chain, what happens to the number of organisms, the biomass and the energy?

Back

There's less energy, less biomass and fewer organisms as you move up a level.

Card 3

Front

What does biomass mean?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Why is it better to use biomass instead of the number of organisms in a food chain?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What does each bar on a pyramid of biomass show?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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