Primary Consumers on Land Consume an Average of 13 Percent

question 226

Multiple Choice

Primary consumers on land consume an average of 13 percent of the biomass; in aquatic ecosystems, primary consumers consume about 35 percent.What does this say about aquatic ecosystems, compared with terrestrial ecosystems?

• A) Aquatic ecosystems have much higher trophic efficiencies.
• B) Aquatic ecosystems have much lower trophic efficiencies.
• C) Organisms in aquatic ecosystems need more food than those in terrestrial ecosystems.
• D) Organisms in aquatic ecosystems need less food than those in terrestrial ecosystems.
• E) Primary production in aquatic ecosystems far exceeds rates of herbivory.

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