Biology · Environmental Studies

Ecosystem Nutrition and Energy Flow

1,093 Questions

Ecosystem nutrition and energy flow questions cover trophic levels, food chains, and biodegradable materials. These concepts frequently appear in general science sections of major competitive exams. Review these questions to build a solid understanding of ecological interactions.

Trophic levels conceptFood chain orderAutotrophic nutritionEnergy assimilationScavengers and decomposers

Ecosystem Nutrition and Energy Flow Questions

Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

The trophic efficiency of producers, herbivores and carnivores are respectively

  1. $10%, 20%, 30%$
  2. $20%, 30%, 60%$
  3. $20%,40%,80%$
  4. Always $10%$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
According to Lindeman's law of trophic efficiency, 10% of the energy is transferred from one trophic level to another. The trophic efficiency is related to the growth efficiency and standard metabolism of the individual.
So, the correct answer is '10'.
Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

Ten percent of energy gets transferred in food chain, this is enuciated by

  1. Lindeman

  2. Haeckel

  3. Schimper

  4. Zernicke
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Raymond Lindeman gave the famous 10 % law. According to this law, at each trophic level, only 10% of the energy of the subsequent trophic levels is transmitted. So, the amount of energy goes on decreasing at each tropic level.

So, option A "Lindeman" is the correct answer.

Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

According to a pyramid of production, approximately what percent of the energy at a trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level? 

  1. 2%

  2. 10%

  3. 50%

  4. 75%

  5. 90%
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
The number of trophic levels in the food chain is restricted as the transfer of energy follows 10 percent law. This law states that only 10% of the energy is transferred to each trophic level from the lower trophic level. 
According to Lindeman's Law of trophic efficiency, the efficiency of energy transfer from one trophic level to the next is about 10%. Lindeman considered individual organisms belongs to trophic levels with each level acting as a transformer of energy.
So, the correct answer is 10%.
Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

Energy enters an ecosystem through 

  1. Herbivores

  2. Producers

  3. Carnivores

  4. Decomposers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A food chain is series of plants/animals which are interrelated in the form of organism being eaten as food by the other. It consists of producers, consumers and decomposers. The energy enters in an ecosystem through producers. Plants are producers which convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis. From producers, the energy is then transferred to the herbivores and carnivores. The animals eating plants are called as primary consumers or herbivores and animals eating primary consumers are called as secondary consumers or carnivores. Decomposers are those which decay the waster organic matter and release energy back in the environment.

Thus, the correct answer is 'Producers.'

Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

Amount of energy transferred from one trophic level to next is

  1. 1.5%

  2. 10%

  3. 15%

  4. 20%
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
Flow of energy declines as it passes from lower to higher trophic level. The energy decreases from one trophic level to the next trophic level because energy is lost as metabolic heat during transfer of energy. When food energy passes from producers to herbivores to carnivores, only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to another trophic level. Hence, producers receives the maximum energy.
Thus, the correct answer is '10%.'
Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

Efficiency of energy transfer from one trophic level to the higher trophic level is called

  1. Assimilation efficiency

  2. Exploitation efficiency

  3. Lindeman's trophic efficiency rule

  4. Gross primary productivity
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Lindeman's trophic efficiency rule was introduced by Reymond Lindeman. According to this rule, the 10% of transfer of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next successive trophic level. The rest of the energy is lost during transfer of energy and during respiration. The first trophic level has the maximum energy. 

Thus, the correct answer is 'Lindeman's trophic efficiency rule.'

Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

The amount of usable energy remains constant as it is passed from one trophic level to another.

  1. True

  2. False

  3. Either

  4. Neither
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
Organisms depend on the organisms of lower trophic levels for their energy requirements. There is a certain mass of living matter present in a trophic level at a particular time which is called standing crop and measured as mass of living organisms i.e. biomass. The biomass of species is measured in terms of dry weight. Transfer of energy from one trophic level to next trophic level follows 10 percent law known as Lindeman's law of trophic efficiency which states that the efficiency of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next higher trophic level is about 10%. So the energy decreases as it is transferred to subsequent trophic levels.
Hence, the statement given in the question is incorrect.
So, the correct answer is 'False'.
Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

The maximum energy is stored at following trophical level in any ecosystem

  1. Producers

  2. Herbivores

  3. Carnivores

  4. Top carnivores
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
A. Producers are the green plants which synthesise their own food using sunlight.
B. Herbivores are primary consumers which feed on producers.
C. Carnivores are secondary consumers who feed primary consumers.
D. Top carnivores are tertiary consumers who feed on other carnivores.
Maximum energy is stored in the trophic levels of producers as they synthesise their own food. They occupy the lowest trophic level and energy is transferred from them to higher subsequent trophic levels. As the energy decreases each time it is transferred to the next higher trophic level, the lowest trophic level i.e. producers, have maximum energy.
So, the correct answer is 'Producers'.  
Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

Grass $\rightarrow$ Deer $\rightarrow$ Tiger
In this food chain, the biomass of grass is $1$ tonne. The tiger biomass will be:

  1. $100 \,kg$
  2. $10 \,kg$
  3. $1 \,kg$
  4. $1000 \,kg$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

According to 10% law of Lindemann, if 1 tonne (1000 kg) biomass is present in grass, only 10% of it means 100 kg will go into deer and in tiger the biomass will be only 10 kg, i.e. 10% of deer's biomass.

So, the correct option is '10kg'.

Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

Which of the cycle is concerned with energy flow in the ecosystem?

  1. Food cycle
  2. O$ _2$ cycle
  3. Cl$ _2$ cycle

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A food cycle is associated with energy flow in the ecosystem. It contains several trophic levels which are interdependent to each other for energy. Only 10% of energy can be transferred to the successive trophic level and rest 90% get utilise in their life processes.

Thus, the correct answer is option A.

Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

The transfer of energy from a level to another is governed by Law of thermodynamics. The average efficiency of energy transfer from herbivores to carnivores level is

  1. 10%

  2. 25%

  3. 5%

  4. 50%
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The number of trophic levels in the grazing food chain is restricted as the transfer of energy follows 10 per cent law only 10 per cent of the energy is transferred to each trophic level from the lower trophic level.

Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

Percentage energy transferred to higher trophic level in food chain is 

  1. 1%

  2. 10%

  3. 90%

  4. 100%
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The ten percent law for the transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next was introduced by Raymond Lindeman (1942). According to this law, during the transfer of energy from organic food from one trophic level to the next, only about ten percent of the energy from organic matter is stored as flesh. The remaining is lost during transfer, broken down in respiration, or lost to incomplete digestion by higher trophic levels.

Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

About how much of the net primary productivity of a terrestrial ecosystem is eaten and digested by herbivores?

  1. 10%

  2. 1%

  3. 30%

  4. 50%
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

According to the 10%  law, in a terrestrial ecosystem during the transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next, about ten percent of the energy in the form of organic matter is eaten and digested and stored as flesh. The remaining is lost during transfer in the form respiration or incomplete digestion. Thus the correct answer is option A.

Multiple choice zoology meaning of life energy flow and loss energy flow in a food chain energy flows

Which of the following is the correct order of flow of energy?

  1. Plants--> tigers--> microbes--> goats

  2. Plants--> goats--> tigers--> microbes

  3. Tiger--> plants--> microbes--> goats

  4. Microbes--> tigers--> goats--> plants
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The flow of energy is always unidirectional. The energy passes from primary producers to primary consumers. From the primary consumers, the energy is passed to secondary consumers and then to tertiary consumers. Thus the energy pyramid is always upright.