Question

Suggest reasons why the information represented in the pyramid of numbers of animals of one of the ecosystems you studied may not truly represent that ecosystem. 2. According to your data, what is the ratio of third-order consumers to producers? Explain your answer. 3. Compare and contrast two of the ecosystems you studied. How is the energy conversion efficiency similar or different? 4. Does the population size increase or decrease at higher trophic levels in the pyramid of numbers of an ecosystem consisting of a tree, insects (that are herbivores) and birds feeding on the insects? Explain your answer. 5. What might happen to an ecological pyramid of numbers in a forest ecosystem if most of the deer were killed due to hunting by people and disease? 6. What would happen to an ecosystem if the decomposers disappeared? 7. Could there be a food chain without herbivores and carnivores?

Answer 1

1. Because the ecosystem is changing every day that affects the numbers of animals. The numbers would also be estimated and not the true number of the animals in the ecosystem.

2.100:0.1 is the ratio of the third order consumer because only 10% of energy is transfered as the producer are eaten by the first order consumer. When the first order consumer eaten by second order, it only gets 1% of the total energy, and so on; therefor; the ratio is 100:1.

3. Lets consider two ecosystems water and forest an both are similar because both the ecosystem has more numbers of producers than that of consumers. But the number of products and consumption is different.

4. Yes, the populaton size decreases at higher trophic levels because the population of producers decline as the first orders producer require to eat lot of plants for their survival, so that the first order would soon consume all the producers and die of nutrition shortages.

5. Death of deer in the forest ecosystem will disturb the food chain as it will reduces the number of second order animals due to starving and die. It will also result in teh inrease the producers population becuase deer are not present to balance that.

6. If the decomposers will get disaaperaed thatn the dead plants and animals will not be able to decompose and affect the soil fertility. The soil will not get enough nutrition to grow new plants an remaisn of dead bodies can produce harmful gases which can affect the health of other living organisms.

7. No, because food chain represent the flow of energy between different levels and herbivores and carnivores are two important pillars of food chain.