Fabeck: Bio A
Name: ___________________________________________ Hr: ______
Due Date: __________________
Virtual Lab – Modeling Ecosystems (Energy Transfer)
QUESTION ANSWERING:
YOUR HYPOTHESIS:
MATERIALS/PROCEDURE/EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: N/A – On Computer
Go to: http://tinyurl.com/qcsonl4
*Remember to click the pyramid of energy button and divide the higher trophic level’s total energy by
the lower trophic level’s total energy. You should obtain a decimal. If you were to multiply your decimal
by 100 you should obtain approximately 10%.
_First order Herbivores 400_ = 0.1
Producers 4000
Example
x 100 = 10%
RESULTS:
Energy Conversion Efficiency for Ecosystem Trophic Levels
Ecosystem’s Name
Herbivores (FOH) /
Producers
Omnivores (SOH) /
Herbivores (FOH)
Carnivores (TOH) /
Omnivores (SOH)
Average
Efficiency in
%
Deciduous Forest
Hot Desert
Grasslands
Antarctic Ocean Shore
Freshwater Lake
CONCLUSION/ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS – USE COMPLETE SENTENCES:
1. Suggest two reasons why the information represented in the pyramid of number of animals may not
always truly represent that ecosystem.
Adapted from S.Bonin 2012
Fabeck: Bio A
2. Does the size of the organism population increase or decrease as you move up the ecological food
pyramid? Explain your answer.
3. What might happen to an ecological pyramid of numbers in a forest ecosystem if the majority of the
deer were killed due to hunting by people and death by disease?
4. Why is the ecological food pyramid shaped as a triangle? Give two reasons!
5. Could there be a food chain without herbivores and carnivores? Why/why not?
6. Construct a bar graph comparing average efficiency of each biome. Use the lower portion of this page.
Make sure to label and title your graph!
Adapted from S.Bonin 2012