If the flow of energy in an arctic ecosystem goes through a simple food chain, perhaps involving humans, starting from phytoplankton to zooplankton to fish to seals to polar bears, then which of the following could be true?
A) Seal populations are larger than fish populations.
B) Fish can potentially provide more food for humans than seal meat.
C) Polar bears can provide more food for humans than seals can.
D) The total biomass of the fish is lower than that of the seals.
E) Seal meat probably contains the lowest concentrations of fat- soluble toxins.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the flow of energy starts from phytoplankton to zooplankton to fish, it is likely that the fish populations are higher than seal populations. This means that fish can potentially provide more food for humans than seal meat. Seals and polar bears may contain higher concentrations of fat-soluble toxins due to bioaccumulation. However, the given food chain does not provide enough information to determine the total biomass of fish and seals.

If the Flow of Energy in an Arctic Ecosystem Goes