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Difficulty: EasyEnergy Flow, Food Chains, and Ecological Pyramids

Arrange the following organisms in order of DECREASING available energy in a terrestrial food chain, starting with the organism that contains the highest amount of available energy:

  1. 1Grass (Producer)
  2. 2Grasshopper (Primary Consumer)
  3. 3Toad (Secondary Consumer)
  4. 4Hawk (Tertiary Consumer)

Answer

The correct order from highest to lowest available energy is Grass (Producer) → Grasshopper (Primary Consumer) → Toad (Secondary Consumer) → Hawk (Tertiary Consumer).
The correct sequence begins with the primary producer (Grass), which traps radiant sunlight into chemical energy. Energy is lost as heat at each metabolic transfer step, so primary consumers (Grasshopper) receive less energy than producers, secondary consumers (Toad) receive less than primary consumers, and tertiary consumers (Hawk) receive the least energy.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the trophic role of each organism
Grass is the primary producer, grasshopper is the herbivore (primary consumer), toad is a carnivore (secondary consumer), and hawk is a apex/tertiary consumer.
Energy flows sequentially from producers through consumers in a food chain.
2
Apply the principles of energy transfer efficiency (10% law)
Energy decreases progressive at each higher trophic level due to metabolic heat loss, respiration, and non-consumed biomass.
Only approximately 10% of energy stored in biomass at one level is transferred to the next level.
3
Sequence the organisms from highest energy to lowest energy
Grass > Grasshopper > Toad > Hawk.
Producers hold the maximum energy, while top predators receive the minimum available energy.

Key Concept

Unidirectional flow of energy and progressive energy loss across trophic levels in an ecosystem.
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Topics

Energy Flow, Food Chains, and Ecological Pyramids

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