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Describe the role of decomposers in the transfer of energy through trophic levels and explain how they contribute to the ecosystem's nutrient cycle.
Explain how the energy transfer efficiency between trophic levels affects the structure of an ecosystem's food web.
Discuss the impact of removing a primary consumer from an ecosystem on the energy flow through trophic levels.
How does the energy transfer through trophic levels influence the population sizes of organisms at different levels?
Explain how the concept of trophic levels can be used to understand the impact of human activities on ecosystems.
Explain how trophic efficiency impacts the biomass of organisms at different trophic levels in an ecosystem.
Describe how energy loss at each trophic level can influence the population size of top predators in an ecosystem.
How does the concept of trophic efficiency explain the shape of ecological pyramids?
Discuss how energy loss at each trophic level can affect the biodiversity of an ecosystem.
How does the concept of trophic efficiency relate to the stability of an ecosystem?
Explain how primary productivity sets the foundation for energy flow in an ecosystem.
Describe how variations in primary productivity can affect the biodiversity of an ecosystem.
How does primary productivity differ between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and what factors contribute to these differences?
Discuss the role of primary productivity in supporting higher trophic levels in a food web.
How might climate change impact primary productivity and, consequently, the food webs in different ecosystems?
Discuss the role of primary productivity in supporting higher trophic levels in a food web.
(Student response here)
Primary productivity provides the energy base for all higher trophic levels in a food web. Autotrophs, such as plants and algae, convert solar energy into chemical energy stored in organic molecules. Herbivores consume these primary producers, obtaining energy and nutrients. Carnivores and omnivores then feed on herbivores, transferring energy up the trophic levels. Decomposers break down dead organisms, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem, which supports further primary productivity.
In a food web, which trophic level directly depends on primary productivity?
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