8/12/2019 Ecosystems Energy Lab

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Warm Up:

AbioticDefinition of a non-living object in our biosphere.

BioticJust the opposite of abiotic, the definition of a living organism in our biosphere.

AutotrophAn organism which can produce its own energy and thrive without eating other organisms.

HeterotrophAn organism which depends on consumption of something else for its energy.

Trophic LevelA hierarchy of organization in which the movement of energy consumption from one

group of organisms to the next is shown, very similar to a Food Chain.

EntropyThe measure of misconduct and disorder within a closed system, such as separate trophic

levels. As animals get more powerful within each trophic level, the tendency for them to fight each

other or go against the chain increases. Would plants try to kill other plants and disturb the order?

KilocalorieA measure of 1000 calories.

1. The statement in question makes perfect sense because of a larger organisms stereotypical eating

habits. Lets say Hawks eat Gophers, Gophers eat Mice, Mice eat Bugs, and Bugs eat Plants.

If hawks eat too many gophers, then there are fewer gophers, which would mean hawks have no food

source, and start to diminish in numbers.

Due to the hawks diminishing numbers, gophers would soon increase in population, and demand more

mice, which would soon be diminished in numbers, making gophers lesser due to a loss of food, only to

be followed by an increase in mice because of their now-deceased potential predators.

This means less bugs, then, consequentially, less mice because of the lower number of bugs, and then,

once again, even more bugs.

More bugs means less plants, and less plants mean less bugs, and less bugs means more plants.

Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

2. If a meteor was to hit earth during the time of the dinosaurs, most plants and smaller animals would

die. Not only that, but we would lose solar energy for surviving plants, meaning plants would become

fewer in numbers, larger plant-eating dinos would perish, and carnivorous dinos who ate those dinos

would see their demise. Its all a huge chain reaction which starts from the bottom up, wiping out an

entire race.

3. When organisms are eaten by a trophic level higher than the lowest, only 10% of THAT energy travels

to the next level up. After three of four levels, this energy diminishes to such a number life cannot be

sustained without mass murder and eating.

4. In a situation where insects are eradicated from our food chain, any organism dependent on insects

of a food source would slowly perish until its hunters make it instinct, and then everything dependent

on the insect-dependent organism would die, causing a chain reaction similar to number 2.

5. Since mass is never created or destroyed, it makes sense that when speaking of the Law of

Conservation of Mass, we create links to saprophytes, because mass of deceased organisms is

transferred to the growth of saprophyte.

6A. C6H12O6is a sugar molecule.

B/C. In a photosynthesis reaction, there are 2 molecules on each side, with 4 in total. There are 36

molecules on each side, both totaling 72.

7. The ever increasing population of humans could be a problem because of our tendency to eat more

than our lot. If we out eat any one piece of the food chain, it creates the chain reaction so vividly

pictured in the questions answered in the lab prior.

8/12/2019 Ecosystems Energy Lab

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8. The best dietary course we could take in the situation that our food chain is destroyedis one thats

based on an herbivores diet. This is because of its ease of consumption for us, the ease of production,

the health factor, its importance in rebuilding a food chain, and its likely survival through a food-chain

crash.

9. Energy transfers rarely exceed 10% due to the varying needs of energy and reasons to lose energy

across the different organisms of a trophic level.