Matter and Energy Unit Test 13 of 1413 of 14 Items Question In a food pyramid, there is typically less biomass at the top (i.e., there are very few individual tertiary consumers, whereas there are numerous individual producers). In three to five sentences, explain this phenomenon, citing evidence relating to energy flow and how plants support ecosystems.(4 points) Short Answer Rubric (4 points) Points Awarded Criteria 4 The answer is very clear. The answer is fully supported by details. There may be a few errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics. Errors do not interfere with meaning. 3 The answer is mostly clear. The answer is supported by mostly relevant details. There are a few errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics. Errors do not interfere with meaning. 2 The answer is somewhat clear. Details are weak or not related. There are some errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. Errors interfere with meaning. 1 The answer is not clear. There are few or no supporting details. There are many errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. Errors interfere with meaning. 0 The question is not answered.
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In a food pyramid, there is typically less biomass at the top because energy is lost as it flows through the different trophic levels. Producers, such as plants, convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis. This energy is then transferred to primary consumers, such as herbivores, when they eat the plants. However, only a small portion of the energy is assimilated and stored as biomass in the primary consumers. As energy continues to flow through the food chain, more energy is lost through respiration, metabolic processes, and heat production. This results in a decrease in biomass at each higher trophic level, leading to fewer individual tertiary consumers at the top.
can you slim that down a little bit?
In a food pyramid, there is less biomass at the top because energy is lost as it flows through trophic levels. Producers convert sunlight into energy, which is then transferred to primary consumers. However, only a small portion of this energy is stored as biomass in each level. Energy is lost through metabolic processes, resulting in fewer individual tertiary consumers at the top.
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