Question

. If the producer level of an ecosystem contains 46,894 calories, how much energy wouldbe found at the secondary consumer level of that same ecosystem?a. 4,689 caloriesb. 468,940 caloriesC. 468 caloriesd. 46,894 calories

Answer 1

Energy levels in an ecosystem

To be able to calculate how much energy there is at a certain level in an ecosystem, it is necessary to understand how the energetic pyramid works: it shows the energy retained as new biomass at each trophic level.

from bottom to top:

-Solar energy

-primary producers: 100% of energy

-primary consumers: 10% of energy

-secondary consumers: 1% of energy

-tertiary consumers: 0.1% of energy

Therefore, if there is an ecosystem with 46,894 calories, to know how many calories would be at a secondary consumer level it is necessary to multiply that number by 0.01 (which corresponds to 1% of the total energy). Then:

46,894 x 0.01 = 468.94

Therefore, the correct answer to this question is option c, 468 calories.