7.2.1 Levels of Organisation

What do food chains always begin with?

A producer (photosynthetic organisms such as green plants or algae).

How do producers make glucose?

Through photosynthesis.

What is glucose used for in producers?

To make other biological molecules in the plant, which make up the biomass.

What do primary consumers eat?

Producers.

What do secondary consumers eat?

Primary consumers (they are predators and the eaten animals are prey).

What do tertiary consumers eat?

Secondary consumers.

What tools are used to measure the distribution and abundance of species in an ecosystem?

Transects and quadrats.

What can you do with data from transects and quadrats?

Calculate the mean, mode, and median, then draw a graph.

What does a stable community show between predators and prey?

Population cycles.

What happens if the population of prey increases?

The population of predators will also increase.

What happens when predator numbers increase?

The number of prey decreases after some time as more are consumed.

What happens when there isn't enough prey to feed predators?

The predator population decreases, allowing prey numbers to increase again.