BIO 14 INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY

Laboratory Exercises 9
ECOLOGY

Introduction
The structure and dynamics of a community also depend on the feeding relationships
between organisms—the trophic structure of the community. The transfer of food energy up
the trophic levels from its source in plants and other autotrophic organisms (primary
producers) through herbivores (primary consumers) to carnivores (secondary, tertiary, and
quaternary consumers) and eventually to decomposers is referred to as a food chain. Food
chains are relatively short and this is attributed either to the inefficiency of energy transfer
along the chain (energetic hypothesis) or the instability of long food chains (dynamic stability
hypothesis). Food chains are not isolated units but are linked together in food webs.
Ecologists summarize the trophic relationships of a community by diagramming a food web
with arrows linking species according to who eats whom.

Expected Learning Outcomes

After accomplishing the exercise, the student can:
1. explain how the energy flows and how matter is recycled in an ecosystem.

Activities
Examine a sample food chain, construct a food chain, food web and energy pyramid and
explain energy transfer in trophic levels
A. Using the following food chain (Fig 1), answer the questions below.
1. What type of organism is the grass?
2. Which animal is an herbivore or primary consumer?
3. What would happen to the population of snakes if the population
of hawks increased? Why?

B. Construct a food chain for the following: An owl eats a snake, the
snake eats a frog, the frog eats a grasshopper, and the grasshopper
eats the plant. Label the producer, primary consumer, secondary
consumer, tertiary consumer, and the highest consumer.

C. Using the food chain from question no. 2, construct an energy

pyramid.
1. Which animal has the most amount of available energy?
2. Which animal has the least amount of available energy?
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D. Energy transfer
1. Hypothetical balanced food chain. Sun and Earth supply 6 units of energy to each
plant. For higher tropic levels, individuals consume 2 units of energy each before
passing the remainder to the next trophic level. The number of individuals in each
trophic level is given below. Complete the table below by computing for the number
of energy units in each column. Answer the following questions:
o Discuss how the food chain works. o Where does each trophic component or
level get its energy (food) from? o What is the ultimate source of energy for
all components of the food chain? o Which component got the highest
amount of available energy/individual?
o Why do members of this component need the most energy?

Trophic Levels No. No. of units No. units No. units No. units Mean no.
individuals received from used/ used in remaining & units available
in each trophic level individual trophic passed on to next per individual
trophic above (Resp) level trophic level in trophic level
level

SUN + E = 6

a. Plants 30 180 2 60 120 6

b. Grasshopper 19 120 2 38 82 6.3

c. Frog 12 82 2 24 58 6.8

d. Snake 8 58 2 16 42 7.25

e. Owl 4 42 2 8 34 10.5

2. What happens if there’s a natural disturbance (drought) affecting the balance of the
food chain so that the Sun +E can supply only 4 energy units per plant? Compute for
energy units following the table above and answer the following questions:

Trophic Levels No. No. of units No. units No. units No. units Mean no.
individuals received used/ used in remaining & units available
in each from individual trophic passed on to per individual
trophic trophic (Resp) level next trophic in trophic
level level above level level

SUN +E = 4

a. Plants 30 120 2 60 60 4

b. Grasshopper 19 60 2 38 22 3.2
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c. Frog 12 22 2 24 0 1.8

d. Snake 8 0 2 16 0 0

e. Owl 4 0 2 8 0 0

o What is the effect of reduced energy supply (nutrients or food) to the plants?
o Which components received comparatively less energy in the disturbed food
chain?
o What could be the consequences of the above?
o If human beings were the last component in this food chain, what would be
the consequences of reduced nutrient supply to plants?

3. When hunting disrupts balance in the food chain by removing all owls, there will be
no predators on snakes, leading to their increase in numbers. Considering the
scenario where the number of lost owls (4) is replaced by snakes, compute for
energy units following the table in no. 1 (Sun + E = 6) and answer the following
questions:
Trophic Levels No. No. of units No. units No. units No. units Mean no. units
individuals received from used/ used in remaining & available per
in each trophic level individual trophic passed on to next individual in
trophic above (Resp) level trophic level trophic level
level

SUN +E = 6
a. Plants 30 180 2 60 120 6

b. Grasshopper 19 120 2 38 82 6.3

c. Frog 12 82 2 24 58 6.8

d. Snake 8 + 4 = 12 58 2 24 34 4.8

e. Owl 0 34 2 0 34 -

o In comparison with the natural food chain, which component received less
energy in this unbalanced food chain? o What is the reason for the above?
o What might be the consequences of the above?
o What is needed to recover balance in the food chain? How can this be
achieved in this specific situation?

GRADING ASSESSMENT:
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Your output will be scored using the following rubrics below.

A. Food chain. Answer to questions

Fair (1 pt) Good (3 pts) Excellent (5 pts)

The answer is Student partially answered Student answered the question

incorrect. the question. correctly.

B. Construct a Food chain: subtotal = 10pts.

Drawing/Illustrations (with labels) will be scored as follows:
Excellent Student’s drawing records detailed observations of the organisms studied.
(9-10pts) The drawing is labeled and has a complete heading. Relevant descriptions or
answers to questions are attached and complete. Important structures are
labeled. A sense of scale is provided.
Good Student’s drawing records a considerable number of observations of the
(7-8pts) organisms studied. A few parts are absent that would increase the amount
of information communicated through the drawing. Most labels and
descriptions are included and accurate.
Average Student’s drawing records some observations of the organisms studied.
(5-6pts) Neatness And lack of detail prevents the reader from interpreting all parts of
the drawing. Labels, descriptions, or other important features are absent.
Fair Student’s drawing records minimal observations of the organism studied.
(3-4pts) The drawing either cannot be read clearly or does not communicate
necessary information about the specimen or prop observed.

(Poor) Student’s drawing is not complete, is unreadable, or lacks the information

1-2pts necessary to demonstrate that the student made observations and recorded
them.

C. Construct an energy pyramid: subtotal = 10pts.

Drawing/illustrations (with labels) will be scored as follows:
Excellent Student’s drawing records detailed observations of the organisms studied.
(9-10pts) The drawing is labeled and has a complete heading. Relevant descriptions or
answers to questions are attached and complete. Important structures are
labeled. A sense of scale is provided.
Good Student’s drawing records a considerable number of observations of the
(7-8pts) organisms studied. A few parts are absent that would increase the amount
of information communicated through the drawing. Most labels and
descriptions are included and accurate.
BIO 14 INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY

Average Student’s drawing records some observations of the organisms studied.

(5-6pts) Neatness And lack of detail prevents the reader from interpreting all parts
of the drawing. Labels, descriptions, or other important features are absent.
Fair Student’s drawing records minimal observations of the organism studied.
(3-4pts) The drawing either cannot be read clearly or does not communicate
necessary information about the specimen or prop observed.

(Poor) Student’s drawing is not complete, is unreadable, or lacks the information

1-2pts necessary to demonstrate that the student made observations and recorded
them.

D. Energy transfer: subtotal = 60pts

Answers to questions and computations will be graded/scored as follows:
Criteria Fair Good Excellent

3 2 1

Writing skills Student’s answer is Student writes with Student writes

(max = 3pt) not easy to read or minimal errors in clearly, with no
understand grammar and spelling errors in grammar
and spelling

0.5 1 2
Answered the
question correctly The answer is Student partially Student
(max = 2pts) incorrect. answered the answered the
question. question correctly.

1 2-3 4-5
Proved the answer
by using There is no example Example(s) or Used example(s) or
facts/ or evidence evidence does not evidence(s) to
evidence/details/ to support relate or support the support the answer
examples (max = the answer to the answer. to the question.
5pts) question

SUBMISSION
1. Draw the food chain and energy pyramid, along with the completed energy
transfer tables and your answers to all accompanying questions in the worksheet
provided.
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2. Save your work as a .pdf, .docx file or take a picture of your answers. Name your
file with the activity number and your surname (e.g. Lab Activity 12_Regalado)
3. Submit your worksheets not later than December 13, 2022 at 08:00AM.
BIO 14 INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY

Bio 14 Laboratory Exercise 10

Ecology
Lab Worksheet

Name: CAMBAS, BARBARA JANE S. Section:SEC 8 Date Submitted: 12/13/2022

1) Using the following food chain (Fig 1), answer the questions below.
a) What type of organism is the grass?
- Figure1 is an illustration of a food chain in a grassland ecosystem that starts with
grass being the primary producer by trapping energy from sunlight.

b) Which animal is a herbivore or primary consumer?

- Grasshoppers are primary consumers because they directly depend on the green
plant for their food.

c) What would happen to the population of snakes if the population of hawks

increased? Why?
The population of snakes will decrease due to an increase in consumers which are
hawks. Therefore making the food chain and way of life not balanced
2) Construct a food chain for the following: An owl eats a snake, the snake eats a frog, the
frog eats a grasshopper, and the grasshopper eats the plant. Label the producer,
primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer, and the highest consumer.
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BIO 14 INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY

3) Using the food chain from question no. 2, construct an energy pyramid.
 BIO 14 INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY

a) Which animal has the most amount of available energy?

- plants
b) Which animal has the least amount of available energy?
- owl

4) Energy transfer
4.1 Hypothetical balanced food chain. Sun and Earth supply 6 units of energy to each
plant. For higher tropic levels, individuals consume 2 units of energy each before
passing the remainder to the next trophic level. The number of individuals in each
trophic level is given below. Complete the table below by computing for the number
of energy units in each column and answer the questions below.

Trophic Levels No. No. of units No. units No. units No. units Mean no.
individuals received from used/ used in remaining & units available
in each trophic level individual trophic passed on to next per individual
trophic above (Resp) level trophic level in trophic level
level

SUN + E = 6

a. Plants 30 180 2 60 120 6

b. Grasshopper 19 120 2 38 82 6.3

c. Frog 12 82 2 24 58 6.8

d. Snake 8 58 2 16 42 7.25

e. Owl 4 42 2 8 34 10.5

a) Discuss how the food chain works.

- The food chain is a natural process that traces the transfer of energy in the form of
food from one organism to another. All plant and animal species, despite their size,
depend on another plant or animal species for their survival.

b) Where does each trophic component or level get its energy (food) from?
- The organism having a specific position in the food chain within the ecosystem is
called trophic level. The energy source starts from the Sun. Plants at the first trophic
level use the energy of the sun for preparing their own food.
Organisms like herbivores at second trophic level utilize plants for their food and
metabolic activities. Similarly, the organisms of the next trophic level utilize previous
ones for their food. Only 1 % of energy is trapped from the sun by the ecosystem that
then trickles down to other trophic levels.
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c) What is the ultimate source of energy for all components of the food chain?
- The sun is the ultimate source of energy for all things, as without the sun, producers
could not make their own food, as no photosynthesis would happen. Other animals
depend on producers as their food sources, and so if no photosynthesis happens, all
producers die out, and other animals will also die. This will make the food chain
empty and no food chain will exist.

d) Which component got the highest amount of available energy/individual?

- The first level which is the producers got the highest amount of energy.

e) Why do members of this component need the most energy?

- This occurs because producers obtain their energy from the sun, which is the most
readily available resource and hence the most abundant at that level.

4.2 What happens if there’s a natural disturbance (drought) affecting the balance of the
food chain so that the Sun +E can supply only 4 energy units per plant? Compute for
energy units following the table above and answer the following questions:

Trophic Levels No. No. of units No. units No. units No. units Mean no.
individuals received used/ used in remaining & units available
in each from individual trophic passed on to per individual
trophic trophic (Resp) level next trophic in trophic
level level above level level

SUN +E = 4

a. Plants 30 120 2 60 60 4

b. Grasshopper 19 60 2 38 22 3.2

c. Frog 12 22 2 24 0 1.8

d. Snake 8 0 2 16 0 0

e. Owl 4 0 2 8 0 0

a) What is the effect of reduced energy supply (nutrients or food) to the plants?
- Due to the natural disturbances, the energy supply from the producers has
decreased and the following consumers received a reduced amount of
energy.
b) Which components received comparatively less energy in the disturbed food
chain?
 BIO 14 INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY

- the 2nd consumers which are the snakes

c) What could be the consequences of the above?

- The natural disturbance can cause temporary collapse in the food chain or it
will not be balanced wherein the energy supply from the plants has been
reduced and will greatly affect the consumers’ food supply.
d) If human beings were the last component in this food chain, what would be the
consequences of reduced nutrient supply to plants?
- human beings will no longer receive energy from the producers.

4.3 When hunting disrupts balance in the food chain by removing all owls, there will be
no predators on snakes, leading to their increase in numbers. Considering the
scenario where the number of lost owls (4) is replaced by snakes, compute for
energy units following the table in no. 1 (Sun + E = 6) and answer the following
questions:
5) questions:
Trophic Levels No. No. of units No. units No. units No. units Mean no. units
individuals received from used/ used in remaining & available per
in each trophic level individual trophic passed on to next individual in
trophic above (Resp) level trophic level trophic level
level

SUN +E = 6

a. Plants 30 180 2 60 120 6

b. Grasshopper 19 120 2 38 82 6.3

c. Frog 12 82 2 24 58 6.8

d. Snake 8 + 4 = 12 58 2 24 34 4.8

e. Owl 0 34 2 0 34 0

a) In comparison with the natural food chain, which component received less
energy in this unbalanced food chain?
- owl

b) What is the reason for the above?

- The increase of snakes in the food chain will decrease the population of frogs
because they are the prey of snakes.
c) What might be the consequences of the above?
- The population of forgs will decrease due to an increase in consumers which are
snakes. Therefore making the food chain and way of life not balanced
d) What is needed to recover balance in the food chain? How can this be achieved in
this specific situation?
BIO 14 INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY

- The recovery of the predators of snakes. Restoration of the population of owls can
be achieved if hunting will be prohibited.