1. Primary consumers
2. Secondary consumers
3. Teriary consumers

• to break down complex compounds into thier elements
• so that they can be reabsorbed by plants

• not all the sunlight hits the plant
• excretion by the organism/ consumer
• heat
• respiration/ respiratory losses
• not all of the organism is consumed
• 90% of the energy from the sun is reflected by the atmosphere.

energy avaiable after transfer

energy available before transfer

X100

• doesn't account the size of the organisms within the food chain
• the scaling of the pyramid can make it impossible to represent

• requires the organism to be dead
• doesn't include the seasonal differences that occur

• increase energy transfer to humans
• reduce energy loss in the food chain

Natural:

• main input is solar energy or sunlight

Agricultural:

• food for labour
• fossil fuels
• as well as solar energy

• Some light energy fails to strike/is reflected/not of appropriate wavelength;
• Efficiency of photosynthesis in plants is low/approximately 2% efficient;
• Respiratory loss / excretion / faeces / not eaten;
• Loss as heat;
• Efficiency of transfer to consumers greater than transfer to producers/approximately 10%;
• Efficiency lower in older animals/herbivores/ primary consumers/warm blooded animals/homoiotherms;
• Carnivores use more of their food than herbivores

• Respiratory loss / excretion / faeces / not eaten;
• Loss as heat
• There is less energy available to organisms higher up in the food chain
• Carnivores use more of their food than herbivores

• solar energy is the only source of energy
• lower productivity
• higher/more species diversity
• higher/more genetic diversity
• nutrients recycled in the ecosystem
• populations naturally controlled through predation and competition
• natural climax community

max six

• energy input=solar, fule and food
• high productivity
• lower species diversity
• lower genetic diversity
• the recycling of nutrients is limited and needs replacement through (artificial) fertilisers
• populations are controlled through both natural means, use of pesticides and cultivation
• articifical community through the preventing the climax community.

Max six

• maintain temperature for optimum efficentcy
• maintain oxygen and CO2 levels
• maintain humidity levels
• control light intensisty

Max 3

reject reference to soil content

• it is an organism which competes with humans for food or space.

• Slaughtered when still growing/before maturity/while young so more energy transferred to biomass/tissue/production;
• Fed on concentrate /controlled diet /controlled conditions/so higher proportion of (digested) food absorbed/lower proportion lost in faeces
• Movement restricted so less respiratory loss / less energy used;
• Kept inside/heating/shelter / confined so less heat loss / no predators;
• Genetically selected for high productivity;

max 4

• energy is converted by the plant though photosynthesis into compounds and molecules such as starch or glucose
• upon the plants death the energy stored is broken down by decomposers and left in the soil

• it is specific
• it is biodegrade
• cost effective
• not accumulate

• very specific
• control organism reproduce
• pests dont become resistant

• can affect non-targeted species
• requires reapplying->becomes more expensive
• gentic resistance can occur resulting in the need for new pesticides

• movement is resticted and therefore less energy used in the muscles
• conditions kept warm to reduce heat loss and thus less energy lost
• control of feeding, to increase nutrient absorbtion and growth
• no predator as the animals are protected

• efficient energy transfer
• low cost
• quality of food
• use of space
• safety
• disease
• use of drugs to protect against diseases
• animal welfare
• pollution
• reduced genetic diversity
• use of fossil fuels

five max