Science Post Lab Quiz Food Webs

What do the arrows represent?

The transfer of energy from the organism that is being eaten to what it is being eaten by.

What are the two classifications based on the food organisms eat?

Autotrophs- organisms that are able to produce their own food, primarily through photosynthesis

Heterotrophs- Organisms that obtain energy by eating other organisms.

What are the four types of consumers?

Producers (not included) organisms that are producers/ autotrophs

Primary Consumers: they eat the producers

Secondary producers: eat Primary produces

tertiary consumers: eat secondary consumers

quaternary consumers: eat tertiary consumers

Use this Diagram for the questions. Kelp- Urchin-Sea otter- Killer Whale. Otters are getting killed

How would it affect the killer whales, Kelp, and Urchins.

IF the Otters are getting killed, the Killer Whale population will begin to decrease as there are less otters to consume, resulting in some Whales being killed, additionally a less food supply would lead to more competition. The Kelp population may decrease as the Urchin population will increase as less otters are hunting/ consuming them, allowing more Urchins to reproduce. More Urchins resulting in more kelp being consumed, resulting in a lower population of kelp.

Can the ecosystem continue to survive this way?

No, since there are more Urchins eating kelp, this will result in the Kelp population drastically decreasing, and over time, could lead to its extinction or a very little amount. A little amount of kelp will result in low amounts of urchins, resulting in the otter population decreasing further, which results in the sea whales dying out due to a lack of food supply.

Use the diagram for part 5.

(Sea lion populationn decrease)

What happened to the otters?

What happened to the sheephead

What happened to the Killer whale

What happened to the sea urchin

What happened to the Kelp?

what happened to the sea mussels?

The Sea otter population will drastically decrease as the Killer Whale targets them as a food supply, resulting in their population decreasing. This will lead to the CA Sheephead increasing as they are being hunted by fewer sea otters Killer Whale population stayed the same as they are still getting a sustainable energy/ food supply,y as they are now targeting otters. The sea urchin population stayed the same as now they are being hunted by fewer otters, but more sheepshead, which stabilizes the population. The CA mussel population has not drastically changed as they are being hunted by less otters but more sheepshead, which also balances out.

Lets say the sheephead population begins to decrease, can the population sustain?

No as less Sheephead would lead to less sea lions as they are not getting as much food supply, eating as much energy as before, resulting in them dying. With a lower amount of sea lions and sea otters, the Killer whale population will begin to decrease as they now have a less food supply from either the sea lion or Sea otter. As the Sea urchin is being consumed by less otters or sheepshead, their population will drastically increase, resulting in more consumption of the Kelp. Without the Kelp, the ecosystem cannot survive.