In a pond, algae has 10,000 kcal of available energy. If the zooplankton which consumes the algae has 1,000 kcal of available energy, what is the available energy to the minnows that consume the zooplankton?

Question

Biology

Aubrey Norton

4 May, 18:23

In a pond, algae has 10,000 kcal of available energy. If the zooplankton which consumes the algae has 1,000 kcal of available energy, what is the available energy to the minnows that consume the zooplankton?

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Answers (1)

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Dominique Fischer · Answer 1

The minnows that consume the zooplankton would have 100 kcal of available energy.

Explanation:

The reason for this is that there is always a decrease in energy from one trophic level to another. As the energy is transferred from one trophic level to another i. e from algae to zooplankton and then to minnows between 80 to 90% of original energy is lost as heat as a byproduct of respiration. thus the energy decreases at each trophic level.