Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
In a grassland ecosystem, matter and energy flow from plants (producers) to herbivores (primary consumers) and then to carnivores (secondary consumers). At each level, some of the energy and matter are used for life processes and released back to the environment through respiration and waste.
When organisms die, decomposers break down their remains, returning nutrients and carbon dioxide to the soil and air, where plants can use them again.
Researchers from the Great Plains Ecology Program measured biomass (the mass of living matter) at each trophic level in a grassland ecosystem.
Trophic Level | Example Organisms | Average Biomass (kg/ha) | Matter Transferred to Next Level (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Producers | Grasses, Wildflowers | 5000 | |
Primary Consumers | Grasshoppers, Rabbits | 500 | 10 |
Secondary Consumers | Snakes, Coyotes | 50 | 10 |
Decomposers | Fungi, Bacteria | 300 |
Producers capture carbon dioxide and water from the environment and convert them into plant matter through photosynthesis. Consumers eat plants or other animals, transferring this matter up the food chain. Decomposers return nutrients and carbon to the soil and atmosphere, completing the matter cycle.
Although energy decreases at each level, matter is never lost - it moves continuously between organisms and the environment.
This food web shows how matter moves and transforms among all parts of the ecosystem: plants, animals, decomposers, and their surroundings. It helps students see that energy flows one way, but matter cycles endlessly.
Explain how matter cycles through producers, consumers, decomposers, and the environment in a grassland ecosystem.
Use a clear claim, evidence from the passage, and reasoning in your response.
Based on Table 1, which trophic level stores the most biomass, and why is this important for matter cycling?
How do producers add matter to the grassland food web?
What happens to matter when animals die in the grassland ecosystem?
Explain how energy flow and matter cycling work together in the grassland food web.