| What do Green Plants and Algae use to make food? | -The Sun. It needs it for Photosynthesis to work |
| How can Biomass be Lost at each Trophic Level? | -When the Producers have the Food, it uses some to Respire, and for Biological Molecules to help and support the Plant. The Biological Molecules account for the Biomass
-The Energy, or Biomass, is Transferred when Organisms are eaten by Others, although not Much is Transferred from 1 Trophic Level, to next
-And the Biomass [Energy] that they Consume is used for Respiration, so that they can Move and Keep Warm [Live]
-Biomass can also be lost through
Egestion: Getting rid of Undigested Food
Excretion: Getting rid of Waste Products [Sweating, Urinating...] |
| So what does this Biomass Loss mean to:
-Pyramid of Biomass
-Food Chains | -For the Pyramid of Biomass, this Biomass Loss can Link in with why the Pyramid looks like that, which then links into...
-Food Chains very rarely containing more than 5 Trophic Levels, because so little Energy is left to Support even the Last Level, which is why they are so Rare |
| How can you find out how much Biomass has been Lost at each Stage? | -Simply:
Biomass that was Available from the Previous Level - Biomass that is Available to the Next Level |
| How can you find out the Efficiency [Biomass] | ......................Biomass Available to the Next Level
Efficiency = --------------------------------------------- x 100
......................Biomass that Was Available to the Previous Level |
| Example:
Rosebush --> Greenflies --> Ladybirds --> Bird
43kg ---> 4.2 kg ---> 0.4 kg ---> 0.04 kg
-Calculate the Efficiency of Biomass Transfer at the 1st Trophic Level | -So there was 4.2 kg that is Available for the Next Level, but there was 43 kg, so Substitution:
4.2/43 x 100 = 9.8 % |
