Owls eat rats, mice, shrews, and small birds. Assume that, over a period of time, an owl consumes 5,000 J of animal material. The owl loses 2,300 J in feces and owl pellets and uses 2,500 J for cellular respiration. Which of the following best estimates the production efficiency of this owl?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Production efficiency is calculated as (Net Secondary Production / Assimilation of Primary Production) * 100. Here, Net Secondary Production = Energy consumed - Energy lost in feces and pellets - Energy used for cellular respiration = 5,000 J - 2,300 J - 2,500 J = 200 J. Assimilation of Primary Production = Energy consumed - Energy lost in feces and pellets = 5,000 J - 2,300 J = 2,700 J. Thus, Production Efficiency = (200 / 2,700) * 100 ≈ 7.4%.

Owls Eat Rats, Mice, Shrews, and Small Birds