Module in Earth and Life Science: Levels of Organization of Living Things

Module Code: PASAY-ELS-Q2-W7-D1
Name: _____________________________________________ Track/Strand: _______________

Teacher: ____________________________________________ Grade Level: _______________
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION-NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

SCHOOLS DIVISION OF PASAY CITY
MODULE IN EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE

Second Quarter / Week 7 / Day 1
Objective: Explain the organizational structure of the ecosystem; and enumerate the different level of
organizations in an ecosystem.
Levels of Organization of Living Things
YOUR LESSON FOR TODAY
Some cells contain aggregates of macromolecules surrounded by membranes; these are

called organelles. Organelles are small structures that exist within cells. Examples of organelles
include mitochondria and chloroplasts, which carry out indispensable functions: mitochondria
produce energy to power the cell, while chloroplasts enable green plants to utilize the energy in
sunlight to make sugars. All living things are made of cells; the cell itself is the smallest
fundamental unit of structure and function in living organisms. (This requirement is why viruses
are not considered living: they are not made of cells. To make new viruses, they have to invade
and hijack the reproductive mechanism of a living cell; only then can they obtain the materials
they need to reproduce.) Some organisms consist of a single cell and others are multicellular. Cells
are classified as prokaryotic or eukaryotic. Prokaryotes are single-celled or colonial organisms
that do not have membrane-bound nuclei or organelles; in contrast, the cells of eukaryotes do
have membrane-bound organelles and a membrane-bound nucleus.
The living world can be organized into different levels. For example, many individual organisms
can be organized into the following levels:
• Cell: Basic unit of structure and function of all living things.
• Tissue: Group of cells of the same kind.
• Organ: Structure composed of one or more types of tissues. The tissues of an organ work
together to perfume a specific function. Human organs include the brain, stomach,
kidney, and liver. Plant organs include roots, stems, and leaves.
• Organ system: Group of organs that work together to perform a certain function.
Examples of organ systems in a human include the skeletal, nervous, and reproductive
systems.
Organism: Individual living thing that may be made up of one or more organ systems.
Figure 1: Example level of organization
An individual mouse is made

up of several organ systems. The
system shown here is the digestive
system, which breaks down food
into a form that cells can use. One of
the organs of the digestive system is
the stomach. The stomach, in turn,
consists of different types of tissues.
Each type of tissue is made up of
cells of the same type.
There are also levels of

organization above the individual
organism
• Organisms of the same
species that live in the same area
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make up a population. For example, all of the goldfish living in the same area make up a
goldfish population.
• All of the populations that live in the same area make up a community. The community
that includes the goldfish population also includes the populations of other fish, coral,
and other organisms.
• An ecosystem consists of all the living things (biotic factors) in a given area, together
with the nonliving environment (abiotic factors). The nonliving environment
includes water, sunlight, soil, and other physical factors.
• A group of similar ecosystems with the same general type of physical environment is
called a biome.
• The biosphere is the part of Earth where all life exists, including all the land, water, and
air where living things can be found. The biosphere consists of many different biomes.
Figure 2:This picture shows the levels of organization in nature, from the individual organism to the biosphere.
In the figure above:
1. Describe what you see in each level?

2. Indicate the parts with ( A) for abiotioc or ( B) for biotic.
• Ecosystem can be studied at small or at large levels from
• Ecologists study ecosystems at every level, from the individual organism to the whole ecosystem
and biosphere.
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PRACTICE EXERCISE #1
DIRECTIONS: Write a description of each level of organization in the table. Also, provide an example
for each level.
Level Description Example
Organism
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere
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Directions: Fill in the diagram below with the Levels of Organization and draw that represent
their levels.
References:
Online: https://coursedhero.com Book: Earth and Life Science, Phoenix Publishing House
https://khanacademy.com CHED Teaching Guide Earth and Life Science
EVALUATION
A. Multiple Choice. Encircle the letter that corresponds to the correct answer.
1. It is a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area at the same time.
Ecologists study the size, density, and structure of populations and how they change over time.
a. Community
b. Ecosystem
c. Population
d. Organism
2. This is planet Earth, viewed as an ecological system. Ecologists working and study global
patterns for example, climate or species distribution—interactions among ecosystems, and
phenomena that affect the entire globe, such as climate change.
a. Biosphere
b. Hydrosphere
c. Atmosphere
d. Lithosphere
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3. Organismal ecologists study adaptations, beneficial features arising by natural selection, that
allow organisms to live in specific habitats. These adaptations can be morphological,
physiological, or behavioral.
a. Biosphere
b. Community
c. Ecosystems
d. Individual
4. These are made up of all the populations of different species in a given area.
a. Community
b. Ecosystem
c. Individual
d. Organism
5. It consists of all the biotic and abiotic factors that influence that community. Ecologists often
focus on flow of energy and recycling of nutrients.
a. Ecology
b. Ecosystem
c. Individual
d. Organism
B. Answer the following questions. (5 pts.)
1. Explain the organizational structure of the ecosystem.
2. Enumerate the different levels of organization in an ecosystem.
Written by:
Jude Pillora – PCEHS
Remart Balingit - PCSHS
Liezel Clemente - PCWHS
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Objective: Explain the concept of biodiversity, and discuss the common measures of biodiversity.
BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity is defined as “the variability among living

organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial,
marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological
complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within
species, between species and of ecosystems.” The importance
of this definition is that it draws attention to the many
dimensions of biodiversity. It explicitly recognizes that every
biota can be characterized by its taxonomic, ecological, and
genetic diversity and that the way these dimensions of diversity
vary over space and time is a key feature of biodiversity. Thus,
only a multidimensional assessment of biodiversity can provide
insights into the relationship between changes in biodiversity
and changes in ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services.
Biodiversity includes all ecosystems—managed or unmanaged. Sometimes biodiversity is

presumed to be a relevant feature of only unmanaged ecosystems, such as wildlands, nature
preserves, or national parks. This is incorrect. Managed systems—be they planta-tions, farms,
croplands, aquaculture sites, rangelands, or even urban parks and urban ecosystems—have their
own biodiversity. Given that cultivated systems alone now account for more than 24% of Earth’s
terrestrial surface, it is critical that any decision concerning biodiversity or ecosystem services
address the maintenance of biodi-versity in these largely anthropogenic systems.
Key points:
• A community's structure can be described by its species richness, which is the
number of species present, and species diversity, which is a measure of both
species’ richness and species evenness (relative numbers).
• Community structure is influenced by many factors, including abiotic factors,
species interactions, level of disturbance, and chance events.
• Some species, such as foundation species and keystone species, play particularly
important roles in determining their communities' structure.
Community Structure
Different ecological communities can be pretty different in terms of the types and numbers
of species they contain. For instance, some Arctic communities include just a few species, while
some tropical rainforest communities have huge numbers of species packed into each cubic meter.
One way to describe this difference is to say that the communities have different structures.
Community structure is essentially the composition of a community, including the number of
species in that community and their relative. It can also be interpreted more broadly, to include all
of the patterns of interaction between these different species
How do we measure community structure?

Two important measures ecologists use to describe the composition of a community are
species richness and species diversity.
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Species richness is the number of different species in a particular community. If we found

30 species in one community, and 300 species in another, the second community would have much
higher species richness than the first.
Species diversity is a measure of community complexity. It is a function of both the number of

different species in the community (species richness) and their relative abundances (species
evenness). Larger numbers of species and more even abundances of species lead to higher species
diversity. For example:
1. A forest community with 20 different kinds of trees would have greater species
diversity than a forest community with only 5 kinds of trees (assuming that the tree
species were even in abundance in both cases).
2. A forest community with 20 different kinds of trees in even abundances would have
greater species diversity than a forest community with the same number of species in
very uneven abundances (for instance, with 90%, percent of the trees belonging to a
single species).
Types of Species
➢ A foundation species plays a unique, essential role in creating and defining a
community. Often, foundation species act by modifying the environment so that it can
support the other organisms that form the community.
➢ A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on community

structure relative to its biomass or abundance. Keystone species differ from foundation
species in two main ways: they are more likely to belong to higher trophic levels (to be
top predators), and they act in more diverse ways than foundation species, which tend to
modify their environment.
Genetic Diversity- Refers to the variation

of genes within species. It covers distinct
populations of the same species. For
example, different varieties of fungi, wheat,
and rice.
Ecosystem Diversity- Refers to the

different biomes, which are called the
world’s major communities and are
characterized by adaptations of organisms in a particular environment.
Figure 2: Example of
Genetic Diversity
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Identification: Identify what or who is being referred to in the following statements. Write the
answer on the blank provided.
__________ 1. It is the number of different species in a particular community.
__________ 2. It is a measure of community complexity.
__________ 3. It refers to the different biomes, which are called the world’s major communities
and are characterized by adaptations of organisms in a particular environment.
__________ 4. It is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on community structure
relative to its biomass or abundance.
__________ 5. It plays a unique, essential role in creating and defining a community.
__________ 6. It is essentially the composition of a community, including the number of species
in that community and their relative.
__________ 7. It refers to the biological diversity that describes the variety of life forms at all
levels, from microorganisms to wild flora and fauna, aside from the human species.
_________ 8. It refers to the variation of genes within species.
__________ 9. It is a function of both the number of different species in the community (species
richness) and their relative abundances (species evenness).
__________ 10. It includes all ecosystems—managed or unmanaged. Sometimes biodiversity is
presumed to be a relevant feature of only unmanaged ecosystems, such as wildlands, nature
preserves, or national parks.
Biodiversity Index
At first sight, the concept of biodiversity is simple: the total variety of life on Earth—
from the level of genes to ecosystems.
The challenge comes in measuring such a broad concept in ways that are useful.
Typically, it does not make sense to try to reduce this measure to a single number.
A biodiversity index is a particular way of measuring biodiversity. There are different

ways—different biodiversity indices—that are used by scientists to measure diversity. No single
one will always be appropriate for the question being posed. In fact, for some conservation
questions, more than one measure may have to be used.
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Species Richness
The most common type of biodiversity index is species richness, which refers to the
number of species in a particular place. Using the number of species as a measure of biodiversity
makes sense because most people have an idea of what "species" means.
Also, there is somewhat less disagreement among scientists about species than there is
about other levels in the taxonomic hierarchy. And, species keep their genes more or less to
themselves, and to that extent have evolved independently and have their own unique history.
Species Evenness
Species evenness is another way to measure biodiversity. It refers to the extent to which
individuals are distributed evenly among species.
Put another way, it gives you information about the relative quantities or proportions of
individuals belonging to the different species. For example, a site containing a thousand species
may not seem particularly diverse if 99.9% of the individuals belong to the same species.
Simpson's Index
Many diversity indices have been developed to combine different measures of biodiversity. One
is called the Simpson's Index. This index combines measures of species richness and species
evenness.
EVALUATION
DIRECTIONS: Write the letter of the correct answer in the blank before the number.
___ 1. Biodiversity is a short term for ____________.

a. Biological diversity c. Biological diverse
b. Biological diversified d. All of the above
___ 2. Environments always have both living and _________.

a. bio-geochemical cycles
b. ecosystem
c. nonliving factors
d. nutrients
____ 3. Biodiversity is the variety of ________ in each area.

a. communities c. genes
b. species d. organisms
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____ 4. If you were to take a count of the diversity of species in your town, what would you be
measuring?
a. Biodiversity
b. Habitat diversity
c. Genetic diversity
d. Species richness
____ 5. If you were to measure the degree of difference between all of the squirrels that share a
species in a town, what would you be measuring?
a. Biodiversity
d. Species richness
____ 6. A country with many different types of habitat is said to have a high degree of what?
a. Biodiversity
d. Species richness
____ 7. Why is genetic diversity important?

a. Allows for species to adapt to and thrive in different environments.
b. Global warming threatens monocultures.
c. It enables species to create their own habitat.
d. It's not important.
____ 8. What does the diversity index take into account when measuring diversity?
a. Abundance
b. Evenness
c. Richness
d. All of these
____ 9. It is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on community structure relative
to its biomass or abundance.
a. keystone species c. Species Richness
b. foundation species d. Species Evenness
____ 10. It plays a unique, essential role in creating and defining a community. Often, foundation
species act by modifying the environment so that it can support the other organisms that form the
community.
a. keystone species c. Species Richness
b. foundation species d. Species Evenness
Writer:
Remart Balingit - PCSHS
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Objective: Discuss the concept of adaptations; and enumerate the different types of adaptation in an
ecosystem.
ECOLOGICAL ADAPTATION
There is a bird known as a Sand Grouse that carries water in its feather! Found mostly in deserts
the sandgrouse has special feathers on its belly that can soak small quantities of water. It then carries the
water back to its nest. This is a classic example of ecological adaptations in animals. Let us find out more
about it.
Any physiological, behavioral or morphological attribute of an organism that enables it to survive
and reproduce in its respective habitat is called as an adaptation. Adaptations are very important for each
and every organism. Otherwise, the rate of survival or continuing its progeny becomes diminished.
Many animals and plants have these adaptations in place. This shows their success rate in adapting
to the changing dynamics of the environmental conditions. During the course of the evolutionary timeline
of organisms, some important adaptations have become genetically fixed.
What is Adaptation?
“Adaptation is the physical or behavioral characteristic of an organism that helps an
organism to survive better in the surrounding environment.”
Living things are adapted to the habitat they live in. This is because they have special features that
help them to survive. The development of these special features is the result of evolution due to gene
mutation. These mutations aid in the survival and reproduction and passes on from one generation to the
other.
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Types of Adaptation
Adaptations can be of the following types:
• Structural Adaptations
These involve the physical features of an organism that help them to survive in the environment including
the different types of terrestrial habitat. The physical changes are related to the changes in the physical
environment. For e.g., camouflage, which is the protective colorations that helps an organism to blend in
its environment. This protects them from predators and increases their chances of survival.
• Behavioral Adaptations
This is the change that affects the behavior of an organism. This could be caused due to the changes in the
surrounding environment or due to the actions of other species. For e.g.: The rabbit freezes if it feels that it
has been seen by a predator. Changes in reproductive strategy, feeding habits, migration, hibernation,
communication methods are a few other examples of behavioral adaptations.
• Physiological Adaptations
Like structural adaptations, the physiological adaptations also involve physical changes in the species.
However, physiological adaptations are not always seen in the organism’s appearance. This type of
adaptation can be either due to changes in the environment or due to the behavior of other species. For e.g.:
A fish living in water that suddenly becomes more acidic has to shift its body chemistry to adapt itself.
Theory of Adaptation
The theory of adaptation was proposed by Charles Darwin which states that an organism that is
able to adapt to the changing environment will survive, the rest will be eliminated. This is known as survival
of the fittest.
According to the adaptation theory, there are different changes that take place when the habitat changes:
➢ Habitat Tracking: This is when a species finds another similar environment to which it has
inhabited before.
➢ Extinction: When the species is unable to find such an environment, it dies or becomes
extinct.
➢ Genetic Change: This occurs when organisms with slight genetic changes are better
adapted to changed habitat with better access to resources and mating partners.
Importance of Adaptation
Adaptation is essential for the survival of living organisms. Animals, which are unable to adapt to
changing environmental changes die. These adaptations are a result of genetic changes. The animals that
survive pass on the mutated genes to their offspring’s. This is known as natural selection.
Adaptations such as camouflage and coloration protect them from predators. DNA mutations help
in the longer survival of animals in dangerous environments and these traits of survival are passed onto
future generations. These adaptations make it possible for a variety of creatures to thrive on planet earth.
Charles Darwin studied turtles of two islands. The turtles present on one island had short legs,
straight shells and derived food present low to the ground. When a few turtles migrated to another island,
where the food was much higher up. The turtles with longer legs survived. Their necks elongated and shells
became rounded over the course of time. Thus, the population on the new island grew with these adaptations
in their species.
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PRACTICE EXERCISE #2 – Complete the tables by writing the reason for the adaptation in every
illustration.
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GENERALIZATION:
❖ Adaptation is the physical or behavioral characteristic of an organism that helps an

organism to survive better in the surrounding environment.
❖ Living things are adapted to the habitat they live in. This is because they have special
features that help them to survive. The development of these special features is the result
of evolution due to gene mutation. These mutations aid in the survival and reproduction
and passes on from one generation to the other.
❖ Structural Adaptation. These involve the physical features of an organism that help them
to survive in the environment including the different types of terrestrial habitat. The
physical changes are related to the changes in the physical environment.
❖ Behavioral Adaptations. This is the change that affects the behavior of an organism. This
could be caused due to the changes in the surrounding environment or due to the actions
of other species.
❖ Physiological Adaptations. Like structural adaptations, the physiological adaptations also
involve physical changes in the species. However, physiological adaptations are not always
seen in the organism’s appearance. This type of adaptation can be either due to changes in
the environment or due to the behavior of other species.
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EVALUATION
A. Multiple Choice. Encircle the letter that corresponds to the correct answer.
1. This adaptation is not always seen in the organism’s appearance. This type of adaptation can be
either due to changes in the environment or due to the behavior of other species.
a. Adaptation
b. Behavioral
c. Physiological
d. Psychological
e. Structural
2. This could be caused due to the changes in the surrounding environment or due to the actions of
other species.
a. Adaptation
b. Behavioral
c. Physiological
d. Psychological
e. Structural
3. These involve the physical features of an organism that help them to survive in the environment
including the different types of terrestrial habitat.
a. Adaptation
b. Behavioral
c. Physiological
d. Psychological
e. Structural
4. The physical or behavioral characteristic of an organism that helps an organism to survive better
in the surrounding environment.
a. Adaptation
b. Behavioral
c. Physiological
d. Psychological
e. Structural
5. What are Adaptations examples?

______________________________________________________________________________
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Writers:
Remart Balingit – PCSHS
References:
Online: https://byjus.com/ Book: Earth and Life Science, Phoenix Publishing House
https://khanacademy.com CHED Teaching Guide Earth and Life Science
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Flow of Energy in an Ecosystem

I. OBJECTIVE:
The learners explain the flow of energy in an ecosystem and describe the pattern of energy flow
in an ecosystem.
SOURCE OF ENERGY IN AN ECOSYSTEM

The Sun supports most of Earth's ecosystems. Plants create chemical energy from abiotic factors that include solar
energy. Chemosynthesizing bacteria create usable chemical energy from unusable chemical energy. The food energy
created by producers is passed to consumers, scavengers, and decomposers.
ENERGY FLOW
The chemical energy of food is the main source of energy required by all living organisms. This energy is
transmitted to different trophic levels along the food chain. This energy flow is based on two different laws of
thermodynamics:
• First law of thermodynamics, that states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only change from
one form to another.
• Second law of thermodynamics, that states that as energy is transferred more and more of it is wasted.
ENERGY FLOW IN AN ECOSYSTEM

The energy flow in the ecosystem is one of the major factors that support the survival of such a great number of
organisms. For almost all organisms on earth, the primary source of energy is solar energy. It is amusing to find that we
receive less than 50 per cent of the sun’s effective radiation on earth. When
we say effective radiation, we mean the radiation, which can be used by
plants to carry out photosynthesis.
Most of the sun’s radiation that falls on the earth is usually reflected back
into space by the earth’s atmosphere. This effective radiation is termed as the
Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR).
Overall, we receive about 40 to 50 percent of the energy
having Photosynthetically Active Radiation and only around 2-10 percent of
it is used by plants for the process of photosynthesis. Thus, this percent
of PAR supports the entire world as plants are the producers in the ecosystem
and all the other organisms are either directly or indirectly dependent on them
Figure 1. Photosynthesis
for their survival.
The energy flow takes place via the food chain and food web. During the process of energy flow in the ecosystem,
plants being the producers absorb sunlight with the help of the chloroplasts and a part of it is transformed into chemical
energy in the process of photosynthesis.
This energy is stored in various organic products in the plants and passed on to the primary consumers in the food
chain when the herbivores consume (primary consumers) the plants as food. Then conversion of chemical energy stored in
plant products into kinetic energy occurs, degradation of energy will occur through its conversion into heat.
Then followed by the secondary consumers. When these herbivores are ingested by carnivores of the first order
(secondary consumers) further degradation will occur. Finally, when tertiary consumers consume the carnivores, energy
will again be degraded. Thus, the energy flow is unidirectional in nature.
Moreover, in a food chain, the energy flow follows the 10 percent law. According to this law, only 10 percent of
energy is transferred from one trophic level to the other; rest is lost into the atmosphere. This is clearly explained in the
following figure and is represented as an energy pyramid.
TROPHIC LEVEL
The producers and consumers in the ecosystem can be arranged into different feeding groups and are known as trophic
level or the feeding level.
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The organisms of a chain are classified into these levels on

the basis of their feeding behavior. The first and lowest level
contains the producers, green plants. The plants or their products
are consumed by the second-level organisms—the herbivores,
or plant eaters. At the third level, primary carnivores,
or meat eaters, eat the herbivores; and at the fourth level,
secondary carnivores eat the primary carnivores. These categories
are not strictly defined, as many organisms feed on several trophic
levels; for example, some carnivores also consume plant materials
or carrion and are called omnivores, and some herbivores
occasionally consume animal matter. A separate trophic level,
the decomposers or transformers, consists of organisms such
as bacteria and fungi that break down dead organisms and waste
materials into nutrients usable by the producers.
Energy flows through an ecosystem in only one direction.
Energy is passed from organisms at one trophic level or energy
level to organisms in the next trophic level.
Most of the energy at a trophic level – about 90% – is used
at that trophic level. Organisms need it for growth, locomotion, heating themselves, and reproduction. So animals at the
second trophic level have only about 10% as much energy available to them as do organisms at the first trophic level.
Animals at the third level have only 10% as much available to them as those at the second level.
An ecological pyramid is a diagram that shows the relative amounts of Figure 2. Trophic Levels
energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a food chain or
food web.
FOOD CHAIN
A food chain refers to a linear sequence of transfers of matter and
energy in the form of food from organism to organism. Food chains
intertwine locally into a food web because most organisms
consume more than one type of animal or plant.
There are basically three different types of food chains in the

ecosystem, namely –
• Grazing food chain (GFC) – This is the normal food chain

that we observe in which plants are the producers and the energy
flows from the producers to the herbivores (primary consumers),
then to carnivores (secondary consumers) and so on.
• Saprophytic or Detritus food chain (DFC) – In this type
of food chain, the dead organic matter occupies the lowermost level
of the food chain, followed by the decomposers and so on.
• Parasitic food chain (PFC) – In this type of food chain,
large organisms either the producer or the consumer is exploited
and therefore the food passes to the smaller organism.
Figure 3. Food Chain
FOOD WEB
A food web is a network of all the food chains in an ecosystem. Food webs are very complex. Small disturbances
to one population can affect all populations in a food web.
KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FOOD CHAIN AND FOOD WEB

Given below are the important point which differentiates the Food Chain and Food Web:
1. The Food Chain can be said as the single straight pathway, through which there is a flow of energy from the lower
trophic level to the higher trophic level. Food Web can be defined as the complex interconnection of numerous food
chains through which the energy flow in the ecosystem.
2. Food Chain consists of only one straight chain, while food web has numbers of interconnected food chains.
3. In comparison to the food web, there is a lot of instability in the food chain, and this is due to increasing number of
separate and confined food chains. Whereas in food web there is stability and it increases due to the presence of the
complex food chains.
4. As in food chain, there are 4-6 trophic levels only of different species, and any disturbance at any level may disturb the
whole chain. On the other hand in food web there in the involvement of numerous trophic level of the different
population of a species and so it does not affect the food web if there is a removal of any group of organisms at any
trophic level.
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5. In the food chain usually, member of higher trophic level depends or feed upon the single type of organisms of the lower
trophic level. On the contrary, in the food web, the members of higher trophic level depend or feed upon many different
types of the organism of the lower trophic level.
I. COMPLETION. Use the terms in the vocabulary box to fill in the blanks.
Thermodynamics Primary Consumer Secondary Consumer

Producers Consumers Decomposers
Food Pyramid Ecological Pyramid Trophic
Motion Photosynthesis Cellular Respiration
80% 10% 20%
1. The first law of ______________ states that states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only
change from one form to another.
2. Plants are called producers because they “produce” food in the form of carbohydrates during ______________.
3. Plants and phytoplankton, such as algae, are at the first trophic level and are referred to as ______________.
4. ______________ obtain their energy from primary producers.
5. ______________ obtain their energy by eating primary consumers.
6. In the fourth trophic level are ______________ that feed on secondary consumers to obtain energy.
7. ______________ shows the linear sequence of the feeding relationships within an ecosystem.
8. ______________show the loss of energy from one trophic level to another.
9. ______________ are models that show the flow of energy from plant to animal and from animal to animal. Each
step is called a ______________ level.
10. The amount of energy transferred from one trophic level to another trophic level is _______.
II. Use the scientific diagrams to help you answer the following questions.
Scientific Model
1. What are the primary producers in this food chain?
_________________________________
2. What trophic level do the frogs and crabs belong
to? _________________________________
3. What do tertiary consumers feed on to obtain
energy? _________________________________
4. How many trophic levels does this diagram has?
________________________________________
5. If a bunchgrass has 2000 kilocalories, how much
energy will be transferred to the grasshopper/ krill
if it will feed on the grass/ algae?
____________________
How much energy will be transferred to the
spotted frog/ crab if it will feed on the
grasshopper/ krill? ____________________
How much energy will be transferred to the hawk/
sea otter if it will feed on the spotted frog/ crab?
1. What term is used to describe a chipmunk that eats

seeds or fruit? ________________________
2. What are the primary producers in this diagram?
_________________________________________
3. What are the primary consumers in this diagram?
_________________________________________
4. Identify three food chains from this food web.
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III. Complete the food chain by encircling the organisms in each boxes.
IV. Laboratory Exercise: From Land to Mouth
A field of corn contains a certain amount of food energy. If cattle eat the corn, they will gain some of the food energy. How
does the amount of energy in the corn compare with the amount of energy in the cattle? Is it more efficient to feed on corn
or beef? In this activity, you will compare the energy content of some familiar human foods.
You will need: graphing paper, calculator, and colored pencils/markers

What to do: 1. The table below lists the average amount of energy (in kilojoules per square meter of land per year) in
different organisms that people use for food. Organize the data from LEAST energy to MOST energy.
RANK ORGANISMS ENERGY (KJ/m2 /yr)
1
2
3
3
4
4
5
6
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
12
13
14
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2. Make a bar graph to compare the relative amounts energy in each organism:
▪ i. Include a LEGEND:  Use one color for producers and another color for consumers
▪ ii. Label bottom with the names of each organism
▪ iii. Label the left side with the energy
V. EVALUATION. Write T if the statement is TRUE and F if FALSE.
_____ 1. On average, about 50 percent of the energy available within one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic
level.
_____2. The more levels that exist between a producer and a given consumer, the larger the percentage of the original
energy from producers is available to that consumer.
_____3. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be
transferred from one form to another.
_____4. Ecological pyramids show the relative amount of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a given
food web.
_____5. The amount of energy transferred from one trophic level to another trophic level is 80%.
MODULE WRITERS: MARY ANN E. GARCIA LIEZEL CLEMENTE

PASAY CITY SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL PASAY CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL
References:
Energy Flow in the Ecosystem. (2020). Retrieved from https://byjus.com/biology/energy-flow-in-ecosystem/
Trophic Levels. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.ck12.org/earth-science/flow-of-energy-in-ecosystems/lesson/Flow-of-Energy-in-Ecosystems-HS
Rafferty, J. (2018). Trophic Level. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/trophic-level
https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/cobblearning.net/dist/3/4046/files/2019/11/GREAT-Ecology-packet-w-resources-summaries-projects-
worksheets-KEY.pdf
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Module in Earth and Life Science: Levels of Organization of Living Things

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