C4.2 Transfers of energy and matter (Ecosystems): Practice Questions

What is the main difference between the movement of energy and the movement of nutrients in an ecosystem?

In a typical food chain, what percentage of energy is generally transferred from one trophic level to the next?

A forest ecosystem has a primary production of \( 800,000 \text{ J} \). If the transfer efficiency from producers to primary consumers is \( 12\% \) and from primary consumers to secondary consumers is \( 8\% \), how much energy reaches the secondary consumers?

In an ecosystem, what is the term used to describe the position an organism occupies in a food chain?

How does the movement of energy through an ecosystem differ from the movement of nutrients such as carbon (\(C\)) and nitrogen (\(N\))?

Outline the main difference in how energy and matter flow through an ecosystem.

Evaluate the impact of decomposers on the cycling of nutrients and the overall stability of an ecosystem, considering both energy transfer and matter recycling.

a) Discuss the flow of energy and the cycling of carbon in a typical terrestrial ecosystem.
b) Explain why the transfer of energy between successive trophic levels is inefficient, typically following the '10% rule', and what implications this has for the biomass and number of organisms at higher trophic levels.
c) Outline the crucial role of decomposers in nutrient cycling, specifically in the context of carbon.