if there are 100,000 kilocalories available to the algae, how many are available to the copepods?

Question

1,000,000
100,000
10,000
10

Answer 1

To determine how many kilocalories are available to the copepods, we need to consider the concept of trophic levels and energy transfer in an ecosystem.

Typically, only about 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next. So if the algae have 100,000 kilocalories:

• The copepods, which consume the algae, would receive approximately 10% of that energy.

Calculating 10% of 100,000 kilocalories:

\[ 100,000 \text{ kilocalories} \times 0.10 = 10,000 \text{ kilocalories} \]

Therefore, the number of kilocalories available to the copepods would be 10,000 kilocalories.