Question

analysis questions

1. why are the arrows always drawn from the prey towards the predator? what are they showing the flow of?
2. the four plants and algae at the bottom of your food web are the only organisms that do not have any arrows pointing at them. what is their source of energy?
3. plants and algae are often referred to as producers. what exactly do they produce?
4. primary consumers are organisms that directly feed on producers. what animals on your food web would be classified as primary consumers?
5. secondary consumers are organisms that directly feed on primary consumers. what animals on your food web would be classified as secondary consumers?
6. tertiary or top consumers are animals at the top of the food web. they may feed off either primary or secondary consumers. what animals would fit into this classification?
7. primary consumers are sometimes called herbivores, as they only eat plants. primary or secondary consumers that only eat meat are called carnivores. primary or secondary consumers that eat both plants and animals are called omnivores. identify the two omnivores in your food web.
8. if you were to take a walk through a part of yellowstone national park, which level of the food web would you expect to see the most of?

a. producers
b. primary consumers
c. secondary consumers
d. tertiary consumers

1. which level of the food web would you expect to see the least of?

Explanation:

1. Arrows in a food - web represent the flow of energy. Energy moves from the prey (which has energy stored in its body) to the predator when the predator eats the prey.
2. Plants and algae at the bottom of the food - web are autotrophs. Their source of energy is sunlight, which they use in the process of photosynthesis.
3. Plants and algae produce organic compounds (such as glucose) and oxygen through photosynthesis. The organic compounds are used as food for other organisms in the food - web.
4. Primary consumers are herbivores that eat plants or algae directly. In a food - web, animals like rabbits, deer, or grasshoppers that feed on plants would be primary consumers.
5. Secondary consumers are carnivores or omnivores that eat primary consumers. For example, a fox that eats rabbits (primary consumers) or a bird that eats insects (primary consumers) would be a secondary consumer.
6. Tertiary or top consumers are apex predators. In a forest food - web, a bear or a wolf that can eat both primary (e.g., deer) and secondary (e.g., fox) consumers would be a tertiary consumer.
7. Omnivores eat both plants and animals. In a food - web, animals like raccoons and humans are often omnivores.
8. In an ecosystem like Yellowstone National Park, you would expect to see the most producers. Producers form the base of the food - web and have the largest biomass because they capture energy from the sun.
9. You would expect to see the least tertiary consumers. As energy is transferred through the food - web, only about 10% of the energy is passed on from one trophic level to the next. So, there is less energy available to support a large number of top - level consumers.

Answer:

1. Arrows represent the flow of energy from prey to predator.
2. Sunlight (used in photosynthesis).
3. Organic compounds (e.g., glucose) and oxygen.
4. Herbivorous animals that eat plants or algae directly.
5. Carnivores or omnivores that eat primary consumers.
6. Apex predators that can eat primary or secondary consumers.
7. Raccoons, humans (examples of omnivores in a food - web).
8. a. Producers
9. Tertiary consumers