Five hundred minnows consume 1000 kilograms of algae over a four-month period. Five bass consume these 500 minnows over a period of two weeks. Louisa catches and eats the bass. How much of the original 1000 kilograms of algae would you expect to become the biomass of Louisa?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The minnows consume 1000 kg of algae over 4 months, which is 120 days. So, each minnow consumes 1000/500/120 = 0.167 kg of algae per day. The bass consume 500 minnows over 2 weeks, which is 14 days. So, each bass consumes 500/5/14 = 7.14 kg of minnows per day. Louisa eats the bass, so she consumes 5*7.14 = 35.7 kg of bass per day. Therefore, the amount of algae that becomes the biomass of Louisa is 35.7*0.167 = 5.98 kg, which is closest to choice A, 1 kg.

Five Hundred Minnows Consume 1000 Kilograms of Algae Over a Four-Month