LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET (LAS) #9

Name of Learner: ___________________CLC: ________________________Date:____________

Learning Strand 2 – Scientific and Critical Thinking Skills Activity Sheet

TROPHIC LEVELS

I. Learning Competency with Code:

1. Describe the transfer of energy through the trophic levels. LS2SC-BC-PSD-AE/JHS-106

II. Background Information for Learners

The feeding positions in a food chain or web are called trophic levels. The different
trophic levels are defined in the Table below. Examples are also given in the table. All food
chains and webs have at least two or three trophic levels. Generally, there are a maximum of
four trophic levels.

Trophic Level Where It Gets Food Example

1st Trophic Level: Producer Makes its own food Plants make food

2nd Trophic Level: Primary

Consumes producers Mice eat plant seeds
Consumer

3rd Trophic Level: Secondary Consumes primary

Snakes eat mice
Consumer consumers

4th Trophic Level: Tertiary Consumes secondary

Hawks eat snakes
Consumer consumers

Many consumers feed at more than one

trophic level. Humans, for example, are primary
consumers when they eat plants such as
vegetables. They are secondary consumers when
they eat cows. They are tertiary consumers when
they eat salmon.

The amount of energy at each trophic

level decreases as it moves through an
ecosystem. As little as 10 percent of the energy at
any trophic level is transferred to the next level;
the rest is lost largely through metabolic
processes as heat. If a grassland ecosystem has
10,000 kilocalories (kcal) of energy concentrated
in vegetation, only about 1,000 kcal will be
transferred to primary consumers, and very little
(only 10 kcal) will make it to the tertiary level.
Energy pyramids such as this help to explain the trophic structure of an ecosystem: the number
of consumer trophic levels that can be supported is dependent on the size and energy richness
of the producer level.
III. References:

https://flexbooks.ck12.org/cbook/ck-12-biology-flexbook-2.0/section/6.4/primary/lesson/
trophic-levels-bio
https://kids.britannica.com/students/assembly/view/90132#:~:text=The%20amount%20of
%20energy%20at,through%20metabolic%20processes%20as%20heat.

IV. Activity Proper

Activity 1
Multiple Choice
Directions: Choose and encircle the letter of the best answer.

1. A rabbit eating grasses and some vegetables was also eaten by an eagle. The rabbit in this
situation is in what trophic level?
a. Secondary Consumer b. Producer c. Primary Consumer d. Tertiary Consumer
2. In the situation in the question #1, the eagle is in what trophic level?
a. Secondary Consumer b. Producer c. Primary Consumer d. Tertiary Consumer
3. If the primary consumer has 1000kcal of energy, how much energy will be transferred to
the next trophic level?
a. 10kcal b. 1000kcal c. 1kcal d. 100kcal
4. A rat which is eating rice and other producers belong in what trophic level?
a. Secondary Consumer b. Producer c. Primary Consumer d. Tertiary Consumer
5. Teacher Wilfred wants to calculate how much energy will be in every trophic level. How
much energy is transferred from one trophic level to the other?
a.100% b. 50% c. 30% d. 10%

Activity 2
Fill me in!
Directions: Write examples of organisms or animals which belong to every trophic levels
using the pyramid below:

Tertiary Consumers

Secondary Consumers

Primary Consumers

Producers
Activity 3
Direction: Draw/illustrate the transfer of energy from different trophic levels. Write the
amount of energy and label each trophic level.

V. Reflection:

1. What are your significant learnings from these Learning Activity Sheets?

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Prepared by:

KENNETH B. BRILLO
ALS Mobile Teacher