Question

1. algae → fish → seal → killer whale

would the following data make sense? why or why not? 4000 kg of algae, 8000 kg of fish, 400 kg of seal, and 40 kg of whale. explain your answer and place it into the pyramid below. make any changes needed.
answer:

1. take the food chain given and write the names of the organisms into their proper spot on the pyramid. then, start with 91000 kcal of energy at the grasshopper level and write in how much energy would move on to each subsequent level. (8 pts.)

grass → grasshopper → chickadee → bobcat
what happens to all the energy that doesnt make it to the next level of the pyramid?

if each chickadee requires 700 kcal to be kept alive, how many chickadees can this pyramid to the right support?

1. dr. schmidtlingheimer is studying the populations of the organisms in the pyramid/food chain below. after doing population estimates, he finds there are about 7,500 marsh rabbits and about 8,000 gray foxes in this ecosystem. do his population counts make sense? yes or no?

why or why not? explain using mathematical evidence.

Explanation:

1.

Step1: Recall biomass pyramid concept

In a biomass pyramid, biomass decreases at higher trophic levels. The data is 4000 kg of algae, 8000 kg of fish, 400 kg of seal, and 40 kg of whale. Here, the biomass of fish (8000 kg) is more than that of algae (4000 kg) which does not follow the general rule. So it does not make sense.

Step1: Place organisms in pyramid

Grass at the bottom, grasshopper above it, chickadee above grasshopper and bobcat at the top.

Step2: Calculate energy transfer

The 10 - percent rule of energy transfer in a food chain is used. Starting with 91000 kcal at the grasshopper level. Energy at chickadee level is $91000\times0.1 = 9100$ kcal. Energy at bobcat level is $9100\times0.1=910$ kcal.

Step3: Calculate number of chickadees

If each chickadee requires 700 kcal, number of chickadees = $\frac{9100}{700}=13$.

Step4: Explain energy loss

The energy that doesn't make it to the next level is lost as heat through metabolic processes like respiration, used for growth, repair and maintenance of the organism at that trophic level.

Step1: Recall population pyramid concept

In a population pyramid for a food chain, the number of organisms at lower trophic levels should be higher. Marsh rabbits are at a lower trophic level than gray foxes. There are 7500 marsh rabbits and 8000 gray foxes. The number of gray foxes (higher - trophic level) is more than marsh rabbits (lower - trophic level) which is not correct.

Answer:

No, because the biomass of fish is greater than that of algae, which goes against the typical pattern of a biomass pyramid where biomass should decrease at higher trophic - levels.

2.