52. Ecosystems

What is represented by a biomass pyramid in an ecosystem?

What is the term for each step in the transfer of energy and matter within a biological community?

Within an ecosystem, the gross primary productivity (GPP) is always greater than the net primary productivity (NPP). Which of the following correctly fills in the blanks: "Within an ecosystem, the _____ is always greater than the _____"?

Why do quaternary consumers typically occupy the top position in the pyramid of energy within an ecosystem?

In a typical food pyramid, what percentage of the original solar energy is available to a blackberry plant (a primary producer)?

What is an energy source for the producers in an ecosystem?

Why are food chains typically limited to a maximum of five trophic levels?

Which of the following is NOT true concerning the flow of energy through an ecosystem?

In what direction does energy flow in a food web?

In the process of obtaining energy, what do decomposers leave behind in ecosystems?

Why is less energy available to organisms at higher trophic levels in an ecosystem?

Why are most food chains limited to three to five trophic levels?

How do food chains and food webs illustrate the transfer of energy between organisms in an ecosystem?

In the context of energy flow through ecosystems, approximately how much energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next higher trophic level?

Which of the following best describes the amount of matter that cycles through a food web in an ecosystem?