AQA · Biology · 8461
GCSE Biology: Transfer of biomass
Ecology · AQA GCSE Biology (8461), specification point 4.7.4.3. Cards are generated from the exam board's own specification for "Transfer of biomass", and every card links back to the page it came from. Separate science only. Specification © AQA — used with attribution.
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Approximately what percentage of incident light energy do producers transfer for photosynthesis?
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About 1%.
Only approximately ? % of the biomass from each trophic level is transferred to the level above it.
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10
What are producers in a food chain mostly made up of?
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Plants and algae.
What does a pyramid of biomass show?
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The relative mass of living material at each trophic level of a food chain, with producers at the base.
Why is not all ingested material converted into biomass by a consumer?
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Not all ingested material is absorbed — some is egested as faeces.
Which two waste products of respiration cause biomass loss between trophic levels?
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Carbon dioxide and water.
Which substances lost in urine contribute to biomass loss between trophic levels?
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Water and urea.
Large amounts of ? are used in respiration, so it is not available to build biomass.
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glucose
How is the efficiency of biomass transfer between trophic levels calculated?
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(Biomass in the higher trophic level ÷ biomass in the lower trophic level) × 100, giving a percentage (or as a fraction of mass).
Why are there usually fewer organisms at higher trophic levels?
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Only about 10% of biomass is transferred to each level above, so less biomass (and energy) is available to support organisms further up the food chain.
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