A grassy meadow high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of eastern California is known to support a variety of organisms. During the summers when grass is thick and lush, and wildflowers abound, butterflies take advantage of this abundant nectar source. Bears graze on the berries in shrubs at the edge of the meadow. Deer also forage at the edge of the meadow. In the early mornings, coyotes are known to prey on the squirrel and mouse populations that burrow into the meadow soil. A variety of birds prey on the butterflies and other flying insects, such as bees and wasps. If the biomass of flowers that support the butterflies was known to contain 100,000 units of energy, and certain bird species were eating the butterflies that foraged on the flowers, what amount of energy, on average, could be expected to be transferred to the birds?
A) 10
B) 100
C) 1,000
D) 10,000
E) 50,000

Question

A grassy meadow high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of eastern California is known to support a variety of organisms. During the summers when grass is thick and lush, and wildflowers abound, butterflies take advantage of this abundant nectar source.  Bears graze on the berries in shrubs at the edge of the meadow. Deer also forage at the edge of the meadow.  In the early mornings, coyotes are known to prey on the squirrel and mouse populations that burrow into the meadow soil.  A variety of birds prey on the butterflies and other flying insects, such as bees and wasps. If the biomass of flowers that support the butterflies was known to contain 100,000 units of energy, and certain bird species were eating the butterflies that foraged on the flowers, what amount of energy, on average, could be expected to be transferred to the birds?
A) 10
B) 100
C) 1,000
D) 10,000
E) 50,000

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a typical food chain, about 10% of the energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next. If the flowers contain 100,000 units of energy, the butterflies would receive about 10,000 units, and the birds would receive about 1,000 units.

A Grassy Meadow High in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Eastern