Question

In an ecosystem, the herring population was reduced by fishermen. As a result, the tuna, which fed on the herring, disappeared. The sand eels, which were eaten by the herring, increased in number. The sand eels then overpopulated and ate more zooplankton than normal. Because of this, the phytoplankton increased in number, causing an algae bloom.

Based on this information, sequence the organisms into a food chain, beginning with producers at the bottom (lowest number) and the top consumer at the top (highest number).

Question 5 options:

zooplankton

tuna

sand eels

herring

phytoplankton

Answer 1

To sequence the organisms into a food chain based on the information provided, we start with the producers (phytoplankton) and move up the food chain to the top consumer (tuna). The correct order is as follows:

1. **Phytoplankton** (producers)
2. **Zooplankton** (primary consumers, which consume phytoplankton)
3. **Sand eels** (secondary consumers, which consume zooplankton)
4. **Herring** (tertiary consumers, which consume sand eels)
5. **Tuna** (top consumers, which consume herring)

So, the sequence from producers to top consumers is:

1. Phytoplankton
2. Zooplankton
3. Sand eels
4. Herring
5. Tuna