Group 2

Ecosyste
m Candy Kwok
5B(11),
Samantha Li
5B(20),
Gloria Ko 5D(6),
Katherine Ng
Questions
 (a) Explain the terms ecosystem and habitat.
(2 marks)
 
(b) (i) With this food web, draw a food chain that has 4 trophic
levels. (1 mark)
(ii) Construct a pyramid of biomass for this food chain.
(2 marks)
(iii) Explain the shape of the pyramid of biomass.
(4 marks)
 
(c) Why are there seldom more than 3 or 4 trophic levels in a
food chain? (2 marks)
 
(d) (i) Name the type of ecological relationship between the
predaceous insects and
the birds. k)
(1 mark)
(ii) Explain the immediate effect on the number of
grasshoppers if most birds
Answers

(a). Ecosystem is a natural unit of living and non-living parts

which interact to form a
stable and self-supporting system. (1)
Habitat is the place with a particular set of physical factors
in which plants and
(b) (i) Plants
animals live. grasshoppers  birds  hawk
 (1) (1)

(b) (ii)
Hawk

Birds
Grasshoppers

Plants

correct shape (1) Correct Names (1)

b(iii) Energy is lost along the food chain because some energy is
used in the respiration
of the organism, and some food is lost in excretion or due to
incomplete digestion of
food. Thus, the biomass decreases along the food chain. (1 +
c. Most energy is lost in each trophic level. After 4 trophic levels,
1 + 1 + 1)
there is usually not
enough energy left to support the activities of the organisms in
the fifth trophic level. (2)
(d) (i) Competition.
(1)
(ii) The grasshoppers will increase in number because
there are fewer birds and insects feeding on them. (2) They
also have more food because there are (1) fewer birds
feeding on the plants. (1) Their birth rate will be higher than
the death rate. (1)
 (e) They are bacteria and fungi.
(1/2+1/2)
The dead bodies of the organisms and their excreta will
accumulate in
the ecosystem because they cannot be decomposed.
(1 + 1)
Moreover the recycling of nutrients will be affected because
the mineral salts in soil
cannot be properly replenished.
(1)
The growth of the green plants will be severely affected
(1)
That will affect the supply of food to all the consumers in the
ecosystem. (1)