Question

Which of the following best describes the flow of energy in the Everglades food web shown below? (2 points)

Diagram for an everglades food web. The food web contains the following organisms: American alligator, egret, raccoon, carp, Key deer, insects, Southern leopard frog, mangrove, and sawgrass. Mangrove is at the bottom of the food web, with arrows pointing to Key deer and insects. Sawgrass is also at the bottom of the web, with an arrow pointing to insects. Key deer, insects and Southern leopard frog are on the next level up. The Key deer has an arrow pointing to American alligator. The insects point to egret, carp, and Southern leopard frog. The Southern leopard frog points to the American alligator and the raccoon. The egret, carp and raccoon all points upward toward the American alligator. The carp also points to the egret. The American alligator is at the top of the food web.


a)Sawgrass → insects → Southern leopard frog → raccoon → American alligator; about 90 percent of the energy in one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level.
b)Mangrove → insects → Southern leopard frog → raccoon → American alligator; about 10 percent of the energy in one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level.
c)Egret → carp → insects → sawgrass; about 90 percent of the energy in one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level.
d)American alligator → key deer → insects → mangrove; about 10 percent of the energy in one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level.

Answer 1

Answer: b) Mangrove → insects → Southern leopard frog → raccoon → American alligator; about 10 percent of the energy in one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level.

A food chain is a linear sequence of transfer of food and energy, when one organism is consumed by another organism in an ecosystem. A food web is an interconnection of food chains. The energy being transferred among the organisms is relative to energy pyramid, depicting the trophic levels. The energy in each subsequent trophic level is lost by 10%, when the biomass in the form of organisms being consumed from lower to higher trophic levels.

Therefore, Mangrove → insects → Southern leopard frog → raccoon → American alligator; about 10 percent of the energy in one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level is an appropriate in defining the flow of energy in the Everglades food web.

Answer 2

The correct answer is B.
A food web typically start with a plant which serves as the primary producer of food for the other living organisms that are in the food web. The food web is made up of many tropic level, only about 10% of the energy in one tropic level is transferred to the next trophic level.
Looking at option B, you will discover that the food web start with a plant which is mangrove. Insects feed on mangrove, southern leopard frog feed on insects and raccoon feed on American alligator.