Question

A forest ecosystem having a lot of green plants has some foxes, lions and rabbits in it.
(a) Write a food chain comprising all the four organisms mentioned above.
(b) Name (i) one herbivore, and (ii) two carnivores, in this food chain.
(c) Name the link which is a predator as well as a prey.
(d) Name (i) second trophic level, and (ii) third trophic level.
(e) Which link of this food chain can feed on second trophic level as well as third trophic level, independently?
(f) If the sun provides 1000 J of energy to the plants, then how much energy will be transferred to fox through the food chain.

Answer 1

(a) Green plants → Rabbit → Fox → Lion
(b) (i) The rabbit is the herbivore and (ii) the fox and the lion are the two carnivores in the food chain.
(c) The fox is both a predator of the rabbit and a prey of the lion.
(d) (i) The rabbit forms the second trophic level, and (ii) the fox forms the third trophic level.
(e) The lion can feed on both the rabbit and the fox independently. Hence, it can feed on animals in both the second and third trophic levels.
(f)   The energy available at the trophic level of the fox is 0.1 J.     
       Sun → Green plants → Rabbit → Fox → Lion

       1,000 J → 10 J → 1 J → 0.1 J → 0.01 J