Topics 1.9 and 1.10: Trophic Levels and the 10% Rule

Vocabulary flashcards focusing on energy flow, matter conservation, trophic levels, and biomass in ecosystems.

First Law of Thermodynamics

The law stating that energy is never created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Conservation of Matter

The principle that matter is never created or destroyed; it only changes forms as it moves through biological and biogeochemical processes.

Trophic

A term derived from a word meaning growth or nourishment, used to define energy levels in an ecosystem.

10% Rule

The ecological principle stating that only about $10\%$ of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next higher level, while the remaining $90\%$ is lost as heat through organismal processes.

Producers

Organisms at the base of an energy pyramid, such as plants, that convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose.

Primary Consumers

Herbivores that consume producers to obtain energy, occupying the second trophic level.

Secondary Consumers

Carnivores or omnivores that feed on primary consumers to obtain energy.

Tertiary Consumers

Top or apex predators that feed on secondary consumers at the highest trophic level of an energy pyramid.

Biomass

The total mass of all living organisms at a specific trophic level in an ecosystem.

Herbivores

Animals that eat plants exclusively to obtain their energy.

Omnivores

Animals, such as blue jays and raccoons, that eat both plants and animals, allowing them to occupy multiple trophic levels.