Question

Phytoplankton 120,000 kJ/m2

Answer 1

Answer:

a. 6.26%

b. 3.65%

Explanation:

A food chain is a series of event showing how organism feed on one another, it also shows the transfer of energy in an ecosystem.

From the question; we can have a food chain showing the transfer of energy right from the producer to the tertiary consumer

(Producer)                  Primary                 Sedcondary           Tertiary

                                   consumer (1°)       consumer (2°)        consumer (3°)

Phytoplankton    ⇒    Copepods      ⇒  small fish         ⇒    Marine birds

120,000 kJ/m2         7,514 kJ/m2            383 kJ/m2              14 kJ/m2

W                                    X                              Y                          Z

Efficiency of energy transfer is given as: $\frac{EnergyAvaliableAfterTheTransfer}{EnergyAvailableBeforeTheTransfer}*100%$

The first question (a) says,  Calculate the efficiency of energy transfer to the copepods.

i.e efficiency of energy transfer from phytoplankton to copepods =$\frac{X}{W}*100%$

=$\frac{7514}{120000}*100$

= 6.25%

b) Calculate the efficiency of energy transfer from the secondary consumer to marine birds.

i.e efficiency of energy transfer from small fish to marine birds = $\frac{Z}{Y} *100$

=$\frac{14}{383} *100$

=3.65%