Ecological Pyramids, Energy Flow, & Nutrient Cycling Webquest Student Handout

HS LS2-4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: _______________________________________ Period: _____________ Date: ____________

Food Chains, Food Webs, and Energy Pyramids Webquest

Essential Question: How does matter and energy cycle and flow among organisms in
an ecosystem?

Go to the following website: https://bit.ly/2CHbksj

Ecological Pyramid
1. Draw a visual of what 10% of 10% would look like: (use the beaker image)

2. In an _________________, approximately _______ of an organism's _____________ is transferred

to another organism when it is ______________. The flow of ____________ from one organism to
another is visualized in a _________________.

Explain 1: Food Chains

3. Label the following diagram:

_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________

4. An important _________________ factor within a community is _________________. Energy is

___________________ when one organism is _______________ by another organism. A food
_______________ is an easy way to diagram the flow of _________________ in a community.

Ecological Pyramids, Energy Flow, & Nutrient Cycling Webquest Student Handout HS LS2-4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Click on the picture “The Food Chain” to play a short video about food chains. Answer the
following true false questions:

Fact True or False?

Because top predators eat aminals, producers do not play a role in their survival

Without the sun’s energy, there would be no life on Earth

Periphyton is an important producer in the Everglades

Approximately 90% of the food energy that an organism consumes passes on

to the next link in the food chain

6. Answer the following questions based on the video:

A. How does energy flow in a food chain?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

B. What is the ultimate source of energy in a food chain or food web?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

C. What two things do all organisms need to grow and survive?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

D. Why is only 10% of the energy consumed by an organism passed to the next level?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

7. Food Chains Classification Activity: Drag and Drop the arrows and organisms to correctly classify
each organism in the food chain. Record your answers below

Ecological Pyramids, Energy Flow, & Nutrient Cycling Webquest Student Handout HS LS2-4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explain 2: Food Webs

8. All the food chains in an __________________ are __________________________ and are
represented by a _______________. Food webs show the interdependence among
________________. A food web for an __________________ is very __________________.

9. Fill in the food web below, making sure to include arrows to show the flow of energy.

10. What are 2 examples of decomposers? ____________________ & ____________________

11. What do decomposers do? _____________________________________________________________

12. Click on the picture “The Food Web” to play a short video about food chains. Answer the
following true false questions:

Fact True or False?

A food chain can illustrate the complexity of the feeding relationships between
all plants and animals in the ecosystem

The Limpkin is a good example of an omnivore that feeds on many different

food sources

A food web is made up of many intersecting food chains

In an ecosystem, all plants and animals rely on one another for survival

13. Answer the following questions based on the video:

A. How are food chains related to a food web?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Ecological Pyramids, Energy Flow, & Nutrient Cycling Webquest Student Handout HS LS2-4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. Why are food webs so complex?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

C. What is the importance of understanding the flow of energy within an ecosystem?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Explain 3: Go With the Flow…of the Arrows

14. _______________ on a food ______________, or food __________, represent the flow of
______________. The __________________ of the arrows in a food chain or food web is very
_________________. The arrows always show the ________________ of the energy as it is
__________________ from one organism to _________________.

Remember:

15. The __________ of ______________ can also be represented within an energy ______________.

16. Label the following Energy Pyramid:

17. Where do all organisms get their energy from? __________________________________________

18. How much energy is transferred from one organism to the next? __________________________

19. Play the “Flow of Energy” quiz to place the beakers in the correct order.

Ecological Pyramids, Energy Flow, & Nutrient Cycling Webquest Student Handout HS LS2-4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Elaborate: Creating Food Chains, Webs, and

Energy Pyramids
20. Use the Food Web of Bay Waterfowl to take
the quiz.

21. Place the organisms in the appropriate place

in a food chain below:

22. Now create an energy pyramid of this food chain.

23. Write the correct example(s) of a food chain located within the Food Web of Bay Waterfowl.

_________________ → _________________ → _________________ → _________________

_________________ → _________________ → _________________ → _________________

_________________ → _________________ → _________________ → _________________

Ecological Pyramids, Energy Flow, & Nutrient Cycling Webquest Student Handout HS LS2-4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Elaborate: Antarctica Marine Food Web

24. Use the food web to determine the correct placement

of organisms in the food chain. Record your answers
below:

25. Label the organism (Birds, Algae, Killer Whale, Krill) and label each appropriate trophic level.

Vocabulary: Define the following terms (in your own words if possible)
Word Definition

Food Chain

Food Web

Producer

Primary Consumer

Secondary Consumer

Tertiary Consumer

Decomposer

Trophic Level
Ecological Pyramids, Energy Flow, & Nutrient Cycling Webquest Student Handout HS LS2-4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Answer Key
Name: _______________________________________ Period: _____________ Date: ____________

Food Chains, Food Webs, and Energy Pyramids Webquest

Essential Question: How does matter and energy cycle and flow among organisms in
an ecosystem?

Go to the following website: https://bit.ly/2CHbksj

Ecological Pyramid
1. Draw a visual of what 10% of 10% would look like: (use the beaker image)

ecosystem
2. In an _________________, 10% of an organism's _____________
approximately _______ energy is transferred
eaten
to another organism when it is ______________. energy
The flow of ____________ from one organism to
food chain
another is visualized in a _________________.

Explain 1: Food Chains

3. Label the following diagram:

plant
_________________ insect
_________________ frog
_________________ hawk
_________________

abiotic
4. An important _________________ energy
factor within a community is _________________. Energy is
transferred
___________________ eaten
when one organism is _______________ by another organism. A food
chain
_______________ is an easy way to diagram the flow of _________________
energy in a community.

Ecological Pyramids, Energy Flow, & Nutrient Cycling Webquest Student Handout HS LS2-4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Click on the picture “The Food Chain” to play a short video about food chains. Answer the
following true false questions:

Fact True or False?

Because top predators eat aminals, producers do not play a role in their survival False

Without the sun’s energy, there would be no life on Earth True

Periphyton is an important producer in the Everglades True

Approximately 90% of the food energy that an organism consumes passes on

to the next link in the food chain True

6. Answer the following questions based on the video:

A. How does energy flow in a food chain?

Energy passes from trophic level to trophic level (plant to insects to frogs to birds etc…)
____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

B. What is the ultimate source of energy in a food chain or food web?

____________________________________________________________________________________

The sun is the ultimate source of energy for all food chains
____________________________________________________________________________________

C. What two things do all organisms need to grow and survive?

Air and food

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

D. Why is only 10% of the energy consumed by an organism passed to the next level?

____________________________________________________________________________________

Because the rest is lost largely through metabolic processes as heat

____________________________________________________________________________________

7. Food Chains Classification Activity: Drag and Drop the arrows and organisms to correctly classify
each organism in the food chain. Record your answers below

Flowers Insects Frog Hawk

Primary Secondary Tertiary

Producer
Consumer Consumer Consumer
Ecological Pyramids, Energy Flow, & Nutrient Cycling Webquest Student Handout HS LS2-4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explain 2: Food Webs

ecosystem
8. All the food chains in an __________________ interconnected
are __________________________ and are
food web
represented by a _______________. Food webs show the interdependence among
organisms
________________. ecosystem
A food web for an __________________ complex
is very __________________.

9. Fill in the food web below, making sure to include arrows to show the flow of energy.

grasses insects lizards owls

snakees

decomposers

Bacteria
10. What are 2 examples of decomposers? ____________________ Fungi
& ____________________

Breakdown dead & decaying organic matter

11. What do decomposers do? _____________________________________________________________

12. Click on the picture “The Food Web” to play a short video about food chains. Answer the
following true false questions:

Fact True or False?

A food chain can illustrate the complexity of the feeding relationships between
True
all plants and animals in the ecosystem

The Limpkin is a good example of an omnivore that feeds on many different

food sources False

A food web is made up of many intersecting food chains True

In an ecosystem, all plants and animals rely on one another for survival True

13. Answer the following questions based on the video:

A. How are food chains related to a food web?

A food chain only allows one path while a web shows many, but both illustrate energy flow
____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Ecological Pyramids, Energy Flow, & Nutrient Cycling Webquest Student Handout HS LS2-4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. Why are food webs so complex?

They show every pathway any energy/organism can goes

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

C. What is the importance of understanding the flow of energy within an ecosystem?

To learn how the sun provides life to earth and see our impact
____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Explain 3: Go With the Flow…of the Arrows

Arrows
14. _______________ chain
on a food ______________, web
or food __________, represent the flow of
energy
______________. The placement
__________________ of the arrows in a food chain or food web is very
important
_________________. direction
The arrows always show the ________________ of the energy as it is
transferred
__________________ another
from one organism to _________________.

Remember:

flow
15. The __________ energy
of ______________ pyramid
can also be represented within an energy ______________.

16. Label the following Energy Pyramid:

tertiary consumer
hawk

secondary consumer frogs

primary consumer
insect

producer
plants

The sun
17. Where do all organisms get their energy from? __________________________________________

approximately 10%
18. How much energy is transferred from one organism to the next? __________________________

19. Play the “Flow of Energy” quiz to place the beakers in the correct order.

Ecological Pyramids, Energy Flow, & Nutrient Cycling Webquest Student Handout HS LS2-4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Elaborate: Creating Food Chains, Webs, and

Energy Pyramids
20. Use the Food Web of Bay Waterfowl to take
the quiz.

21. Place the organisms in the appropriate place

in a food chain below:

Phytoplankton Invertebrates Seaducks Bald Eagle

22. Now create an energy pyramid of this food chain.

Bald
Eagle

Seaducks

Invertebrates

Phytoplankton

23. Write the correct example(s) of a food chain located within the Food Web of Bay Waterfowl.

_________________
Sun → _________________
phytoplankton → _________________
small fish → _________________
osprey

Sun
_________________ → _________________
phytoplankton → _________________
small fish → _________________
gulls

Sun
_________________ → _________________
phytoplankton → _________________
zoo plankton → _________________
small fish

Ecological Pyramids, Energy Flow, & Nutrient Cycling Webquest Student Handout HS LS2-4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Elaborate: Antarctica Marine Food Web

24. Use the food web to determine the correct placement

of organisms in the food chain. Record your answers
below:

Algae Krill Birds Killer Whale

25. Label the organism (Birds, Algae, Killer Whale, Krill) and label each appropriate trophic level.

Killer Tertiary Consumer

Whale

birds Secondary Consumer

krill Primary Consumer

algae Producer

Vocabulary: Define the following terms (in your own words if possible)
Word Definition

Food Chain a series of organisms dependent on each other for food

Food Web a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains

Producer organisms that produce food through photosynthesis

Primary Consumer producing complex organic matter using photosynthesis

Secondary Consumer consumers taht eat primary consumers for energy

Tertiary Consumer carnivore at the top most level in a food chain

Decomposer fungus etc that decomposes organic material

Trophic Level levels in an ecosystem