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Quizzes > Science > Biology

Energy & Biomass in Food Chains Quiz

Master energy flow in food chains and biomass transfer - start the quiz!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art on teal background shows plants insects rabbits fox hawk stacked illustrating biomass energy loss in food chain

Ready to explore how nutrients travel from producers to top predators? In this free biomass transfer quiz, you'll master energy flow in food chains and see how as energy decreases up the food chain biomass shifts at each trophic level. Designed for students and eco-enthusiasts, this challenge tests your grasp of trophic levels energy decrease and food chain energy biomass distribution. Need a primer? Check out our overview and sharpen your skills with related questions before you start. Track your progress, challenge yourself to beat your own score, and deepen your understanding of trophic dynamics. Dive in now and put your ecosystem energy know-how to the test!

What percentage of energy is typically transferred from one trophic level to the next in an ecosystem?
20%
1%
5%
10%
On average, only about 10% of the energy stored in one trophic level is passed on to the next level; the rest is lost as heat through metabolic processes and waste. This principle is known as the 10% rule and is fundamental to understanding energy flow in ecosystems. It explains why food chains rarely exceed four or five trophic levels. National Geographic
Which term describes organisms that feed exclusively on producers?
Primary consumers
Tertiary consumers
Decomposers
Secondary consumers
Primary consumers, often herbivores, feed directly on producers such as plants and algae. They occupy the second trophic level in a food chain and transfer energy from producers to higher levels. Understanding their role is crucial for studying energy flow and ecosystem dynamics. Britannica
In a pyramid of biomass, which trophic level usually has the greatest total mass of living material?
Tertiary consumers
Primary consumers
Producers
Secondary consumers
Producers, such as plants and phytoplankton, form the base of a biomass pyramid and typically represent the greatest total mass of living material. They capture solar energy and convert it into organic matter, supporting all higher trophic levels. Without this large base, ecosystems could not sustain higher consumers. National Geographic
What does the term 'biomass' refer to in ecology?
The total mass of living organisms in a given area
The rate of decomposition in an ecosystem
The volume of water in an ecosystem
The total energy produced by photosynthesis
Biomass refers to the total mass of living organisms in a specific area or ecosystem at a given time. It is often measured as dry weight to standardize water content. Biomass indicates how much organic material is available at each trophic level. Britannica
Which of the following is an example of a decomposer in an ecosystem?
Eagle
Fungi
Grass
Mouse
Fungi are decomposers that break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and completing the nutrient cycle. They release enzymes that digest complex materials into simpler compounds. Decomposers are vital for ecosystem health and nutrient recycling. National Geographic
Why is a significant amount of energy lost between trophic levels in a food chain?
It is converted back into sunlight
It is stored in non-living matter
It is transformed into new biomass
It is lost as heat through respiration
Organisms use most of the energy they consume for metabolic processes like respiration, movement, and growth, releasing it as heat. Only a small portion of ingested energy is converted into biomass and available to the next trophic level. This energy loss limits the number of trophic levels in an ecosystem. Britannica
If producers in an ecosystem capture 10,000 joules of energy, approximately how much energy is available to secondary consumers?
100 joules
10,000 joules
1,000 joules
1 joule
According to the 10% rule, only about 10% of energy is transferred between trophic levels. Producers capture 10,000 joules, primary consumers get 1,000 joules, and secondary consumers receive about 10% of that or 100 joules. This demonstrates the inefficiency of energy transfer. National Geographic
Which type of ecological pyramid is always upright because energy decreases at each trophic level?
Pyramid of biomass
Pyramid of energy
Pyramid of numbers
Inverted pyramid
Energy pyramids represent the flow of energy through trophic levels and are always upright because energy consistently decreases at each successive level due to metabolic losses. Unlike numbers or biomass pyramids, which can invert under certain conditions, energy pyramids reflect the second law of thermodynamics. Britannica
On average, what percentage of sunlight that reaches Earth is captured by producers during photosynthesis?
50%
1%
10%
5%
Producers are relatively inefficient at capturing solar energy, with only about 1% of sunlight converted into chemical energy via photosynthesis. The rest is reflected, absorbed as heat, or passes through leaves. This low efficiency limits energy availability in food webs. Khan Academy
What causes an inverted pyramid of biomass in some aquatic ecosystems?
High predation pressure
Excess nutrient accumulation
Producers have rapid turnover rates
Low energy transfer efficiency
In many aquatic ecosystems, phytoplankton (primary producers) have very high turnover rates, reproducing and being consumed quickly, resulting in lower standing biomass than their consumers at any moment. This leads to an inverted biomass pyramid, even though production rates support higher trophic levels. Lumen Learning
Which principle explains the approximate 10% energy transfer between trophic levels?
Lindeman's law of energy flow
Law of conservation of mass
Keeling's curve
First law of thermodynamics
Lindeman's law of energy flow, often called the 10% rule, states that only about 10% of the energy at one trophic level is transferred to the next because of metabolic and heat losses. This law underpins the structure of ecological pyramids and limits food chain length. Britannica
A food chain consists of grass ? grasshopper ? frog ? snake. If the grass has a biomass of 10,000 g and the grasshopper has 1,000 g, what type of pyramid does this illustrate?
Inverted pyramid
Pyramid of biomass
Pyramid of energy
Pyramid of numbers
This is a pyramid of biomass, displaying the total mass of organisms at each trophic level. Grass (producers) has more biomass than herbivores (grasshoppers), and so on, reflecting how energy and biomass decrease up the food chain. Such pyramids illustrate the standing stock of organic material. National Geographic
Why do some aquatic ecosystems exhibit an inverted biomass pyramid?
Producers have high turnover rates
Water temperature slows decomposition
Consumers have lower energy demands
Nutrient levels are excessively low
In aquatic environments, tiny phytoplankton reproduce and are consumed rapidly, so their biomass at any moment may be less than that of zooplankton or small fish. The high turnover rate allows ecosystems to sustain higher trophic levels despite a low standing biomass of producers. This dynamic leads to inverted biomass pyramids. Britannica
Which of the following is NOT a type of ecological efficiency?
Production efficiency
Digestive efficiency
Trophic efficiency
Assimilation efficiency
Ecologists typically measure ecosystem efficiency in terms of assimilation efficiency (energy assimilated vs ingested), production efficiency (energy used for growth vs assimilated), and trophic efficiency (energy passed to next level vs previous). 'Digestive efficiency' is not a standard term in this context. Britannica
How is trophic efficiency calculated?
(Gross primary production) ÷ (Net primary production) × 100
(Assimilation energy) ÷ (Ingestion energy) × 100
(Net production at a trophic level) ÷ (Net production at the previous level) × 100
(Net production at the previous level) ÷ (Net production at a trophic level) × 100
Trophic efficiency measures the percentage of net production transferred from one trophic level to the next, calculated as (net production at the current level ÷ net production at the previous level) × 100. This metric highlights energy loss between levels. Lumen Learning
Which law of thermodynamics explains why energy transfer between trophic levels can never be 100% efficient?
Second law of thermodynamics
Zeroth law of thermodynamics
First law of thermodynamics
Third law of thermodynamics
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that during energy transfers, some energy is always dispersed as heat, increasing entropy and preventing 100% efficiency. This is why each trophic level receives progressively less usable energy. Understanding this law is key to studying ecological energy flow. Energy.gov
If an ecosystem's net primary production (NPP) is 2,000 J and respiration losses are 500 J, what is the gross primary production (GPP)?
2,500 J
2,000 J
1,500 J
3,000 J
Gross primary production (GPP) is the total energy captured by producers through photosynthesis. It equals net primary production (NPP) plus energy used in respiration (R). Thus, GPP = NPP + R = 2,000 J + 500 J = 2,500 J. Britannica
An ecosystem has 2,000 kJ of energy at the producer level and 200 kJ at the herbivore level. What is the trophic efficiency?
1%
5%
20%
10%
Trophic efficiency is calculated as (energy at one level ÷ energy at the previous level) × 100. Here, (200 kJ ÷ 2,000 kJ) × 100 = 10%, illustrating the typical low efficiency of energy transfer in ecosystems. National Geographic
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand energy flow -

    Understand how energy flows through food chains and why energy decreases with each trophic transfer.

  2. Explain biomass transfer -

    Explain the process of biomass transfer between trophic levels and how biomass availability declines as energy decreases up the food chain.

  3. Analyze trophic efficiency -

    Analyze the factors that affect energy efficiency in ecosystems, including the 10% rule governing biomass transfer.

  4. Interpret ecological pyramids -

    Interpret energy and biomass pyramids to visualize how energy flow in food chains shapes ecosystem structure.

  5. Apply concepts to real-world scenarios -

    Apply knowledge of food chain energy biomass dynamics to assess ecosystem health and inform conservation strategies.

  6. Evaluate organism distribution -

    Evaluate why fewer organisms can be supported at higher trophic levels based on energy limitations and biomass availability.

Cheat Sheet

  1. 10% Energy Transfer Rule -

    Ecologist Raymond Lindeman's 1942 study established that only about 10% of energy is passed from one trophic level to the next, meaning as energy decreases up the food chain biomass is reduced by roughly 90% per step. Use the mnemonic "Only Ten Percent" to recall this classic energy flow in food chains principle (sources: University of California Ecology Dept., Journal of Ecology).

  2. Pyramid of Biomass Structure -

    A biomass pyramid graphically represents the dry mass of organisms at each trophic level, showing sharp declines at higher levels due to limited energy transfer efficiencies. Visualizing a broad base of producers tapering to apex predators helps explain why fewer carnivores thrive (source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

  3. Calculating Biomass Transfer Efficiency -

    Biomass transfer efficiency (TE) = (biomass at trophic level n+1 ÷ biomass at trophic level n) × 100; typical TE values range from 5 - 20%. Practice with sample data (e.g., 1,000 g of grass supporting 100 g of herbivores gives TE = 10%) for your biomass transfer quiz prep (source: Ecology textbook, Cambridge University Press).

  4. Energy Flow Pathways -

    Energy enters ecosystems via photosynthesis (solar → chemical) and flows through food chain energy biomass as consumers metabolize organic matter, releasing heat by cellular respiration. Remember the formula: Net Primary Productivity (NPP) = Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) - Respiration to track available energy at each trophic level (source: NASA Earth Observatory).

  5. Ecological Implications of Trophic Levels -

    As energy decreases up the food chain biomass diminishes, leading to fewer top predators and greater ecosystem vulnerability when any level is disrupted. This trophic levels energy decrease underscores why protecting keystone species and habitats is critical for maintaining food chain balance (source: National Geographic Society).

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