- Summary list for topic 4.2 Energy flow in ecosystems
- Mindmaps
- Exam style question about energy flow in ecosystems
- Model answer
- Model answer
- Multiple choice questions
- 4.2 Energy flow in ecosystems quiz 1/1
- 4.2 Energy flow in ecosystems (2) 1/1
Learn and test your biological vocabulary for 4.2 Energy flow in ecosystems using these flashcards.
These slides summarise the essential understanding and skills in this topic.
They contain short explanations in text and images - good revision for all students.
Read the slides and look up any words or details you find difficult to understand.
Summary list for topic 4.2 Energy flow in ecosystems
- Ecosystems get a continuous supply of energy from sunlight.
- Photosynthesis converts light energy to chemical energy in carbon compounds, e.g. glucose.
- Chemical energy in carbon compounds flows through food chains by means of feeding.
- Energy released from carbon compounds by respiration is used in living organisms and is eventually converted to heat which is lost from ecosystems.
- Living organisms cannot convert heat to other forms of energy.
- The length of food chains is restricted by energy losses as is the biomass of higher trophic levels.
- Biomass in terrestrial ecosystems diminishes with energy along food chains due to loss of carbon dioxide, water and other waste products, such as urea.
- Inorganic nutrients are cycled within ecosystems and their supply is finite. This is in contrast to energy.
Skills (can you ....)
- Show energy flow using pyramids of energy. Pyramids of energy should be drawn to scale and should be stepped, not triangular. The terms producer, first consumer and second consumer and so on should be used, rather than first trophic level, second trophic level.
Mindmaps
These diagram summaries cover the main sections of topic 4.2 Energy flow in ecosystems.
Study them and draw your own list or concept map from memory.
Exam style question about energy flow in ecosystems
The skill of understanding how to draw a pyramid of biomass is important in this topic.
Answer the question below on a piece of paper, then check your answer with the model answer.
Use the data in the table below to draw a pyramid of energy for the river ecosystem. [3]
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Multiple choice questions
A quiz containing of questions for the topic Energy flow, 4.2
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A second quiz containing more questions for the topic Energy flow, 4.2
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Drag and drop activities
Test your ability to construct biological explanations using the drag and drop questions below.
Energy flow through ecosystems is an important concept.
Drag and drop the correct word into the box to summarise energy flow through an ecosystem.
cannot 50% chemical producers apex detritivores next 10% basis respired light excretion heat previous predators
Primary transduce energy to chemical energy as the of the food chain.
Consumers then ingest energy at the succeeding levels of the food chain. Most of the energy consumed by an organism is and lost as . The remaining loss is due to or as undigested material (not assimilated). Only the energy present in the organism when it is consumed passes to the next level, the rest of the energy goes to and saprotrophs.
Energy flow through a food chain shows the amount of energy passing from one level of a food chain to the . Usually only about (maximum 20%) of the energy available passes from one level to the next.
Energy be recycled and is eventually lost from the ecosystem as heat .
Producers convert light to chemical energy which then passes up the food chain to eventually be lost to the ecosystem as heat.
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