Question

Instructions for Part 3
For each question below, you will submit a short recording for your response.

If you have issues with your microphone, contact your teacher for credit for each of these questions.

Question 1
Explain trophic levels and how energy moves through each interval or trophic level.(1 point)
Audio Recorder
Click on play to start playback


0:00 / 0:38

Question 2
Suppose a top predator was moved from a specific food web. How would that affect the other trophic levels?(1 point)
Audio Recorder
Click on play to start playback


0:24
Question 3
Explain how human activities such as overfishing or habitat destruction can affect the health of an ecosystem. Be specific and use examples.(1 point)
Audio Recorder

Answer 1

**Question 1:**
Trophic levels describe the hierarchical categories in an ecosystem based on the source of energy and nutrients. The primary trophic level consists of producers, like plants and phytoplankton, which convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis. Herbivores, or primary consumers, make up the second trophic level, feeding on producers. The third level consists of carnivores, or secondary consumers, that eat herbivores, while tertiary consumers occupy the fourth level, preying on other carnivores. Energy decreases at each trophic level due to metabolic processes and heat loss, resulting in only about 10% of energy being passed on to the next level.

**Question 2:**
If a top predator is removed from a food web, it can lead to dramatic imbalances in the ecosystem. For instance, without that predator to keep herbivore populations in check, the numbers of those species may explode, leading to overgrazing. This overconsumption can diminish plant life, affecting an ecosystem's health and leading to a decline in biodiversity. Additionally, the removal can allow smaller carnivores to proliferate, further destabilizing the food web.

**Question 3:**
Human activities like overfishing disrupt the food chain by depleting fish populations faster than they can reproduce, which affects not only the fish species but also the predators that rely on them, including larger fish, marine mammals, and humans. Habitat destruction, such as deforestation or urbanization, leads to loss of biodiversity and destabilizes ecosystems. For example, destroying wetlands can lead to increased flooding and loss of species that relied on those habitats for survival. Both behaviors can diminish ecosystem resilience and reduce the services they provide to humans, like clean air and water.