Question

PLEASE I NEED THIS TODAY!!! APR 25 23.

Most ecosystems are full of energy storage molecules that were produced using energy from the sun. Producers make storage molecules using energy from the sun, and those energy storage molecules can be passed through the ecosystems as organisms eat one another. However, not all ecosystems get direct sunlight. For example, there is very little light inside caves, yet caves can be full of life. Where do organisms in caves get their energy storage molecules? There are many different kinds of cave ecosystems, and this article shows one example.

Diagram of cave ecosystem food web.
The food web above shows where organisms in one kind of cave ecosystem get their energy storage molecules. The arrows show how the energy storage molecules move in this cave ecosystem. They point from the food to the consumer.

Image of bats hanging from cave ceiling. (Sorry couldn’t put the image).
The bats that live in this cave are fruit bats. These bats are consumers that live in the cave, but they eat fruit from trees outside the cave.

The fig tree is not in the cave, but it is still part of the cave ecosystem. Fruit bats that live in the cave leave to get fruit like the figs from the fig tree. Fig trees are producers that use energy from the sun to make energy storage molecules. The fruit bats get energy storage molecules when they eat the figs from the tree.

This cave fish is a consumer that feeds on bat droppings (poop). Even bat droppings have energy storage molecules in them. Many cave animals, like this fish, are born without eyes—it’s too dark to see, so eyes are useless where they live. Blind cave fish navigate, feed, and reproduce with enhanced senses of smell, taste, and touch.

This crawfish is a consumer. It has no eyes, but it can still catch fish to eat!

This tiny millipede is a consumer that lives in the cave and eats bat droppings.




Writing to the Econauts

Claim: Populations in the cave ecosystem can get energy storage molecules without sunlight.

After visiting a cave, Econaut Keith Yoo made the claim that populations in the cave ecosystem can get energy storage molecules without sunlight.

Write a short message to Keith and explain whether you agree with his claim or not. Be sure to use evidence from the article and the Sim in your explanation. Remember, the Econauts do not know as much about ecosystems as you do, so you should explain your ideas fully and clearly.

Answer 1

Dear Keith,

Thank you for sharing your observation about the cave ecosystem. I agree with your claim that populations in the cave ecosystem can get energy storage molecules without sunlight. As the article shows, producers like the fig tree can make energy storage molecules using energy from the sun outside of the cave. The fruit bats, which are consumers living in the cave, eat the figs from the tree and get energy storage molecules. Other consumers in the cave, such as the fish and the millipede, feed on bat droppings that also contain energy storage molecules.

While sunlight is an important source of energy for many ecosystems, it is not the only source. As the cave ecosystem demonstrates, energy storage molecules can be passed through the ecosystem even in the absence of direct sunlight. This is possible because the energy storage molecules are produced outside of the cave, but are still accessible to the organisms living inside the cave.

I hope this explanation helps you better understand the cave ecosystem and the ways in which energy flows through it.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Answer 2

I agree with Keith Yoo's claim that populations in the cave ecosystem can get energy storage molecules without sunlight. This is because fruit bats, which are consumers that live in the cave, eat fruit from trees outside the cave. The fruit bats then transfer the energy storage molecules to other cave organisms through their droppings.

Evidence from the article

The article states that fruit bats are the primary consumers in the cave ecosystem. It also states that fruit bats eat fruit from trees outside the cave. This means that the fruit bats are bringing energy storage molecules into the cave ecosystem. The article also states that other cave organisms, such as fish and millipedes, eat bat droppings. This means that the energy storage molecules from the fruit are being transferred to other cave organisms through the bats' droppings.

Evidence from the Sim

The Sim shows that the fruit bats are the only organisms in the cave ecosystem that can access the fig tree, which is a producer. This means that the fruit bats are the only organisms in the cave ecosystem that can directly obtain energy storage molecules from the sun. The Sim also shows that the other cave organisms can only obtain energy storage molecules by eating the fruit bats or their droppings. This means that the energy storage molecules from the fruit are being transferred to other cave organisms through the fruit bats.