Question

The best arrangement of an energy system consisting of hawks, snakes, mice, and grasses is
A. Grass → mouse → snake → hawks
B. Grass → snake → mouse → hawks
C. Grass → mouse → hawks → snakes
D. Mouse → snake → hawks → grass

Answer 1

Hint: 1. In an ecosystem, various organisms depend on each other to complete their energy requirements.
2. Green plants produce energy using sunlight. All organisms depend on green plants directly or indirectly for energy. One organism eats another one partially or completely. This sequence of eating and being eaten continues and a chain is formed called a food chain. Energy is transferred through this and an energy system is made.
3. In an ecosystem, various food chains are linked with each other and a food web is formed.

Complete answer: In an ecosystem green plants and other autotrophic organisms do photosynthesis and convert solar energy into chemical energy. That’s why these are called producers. All heterotrophs and saprophytes depend on these producers.
All heterotrophic organisms are called consumers. Consumers can be macro-consumers and micro-consumers. Herbivores (like mice), carnivores (like snakes and lizards), and detritivores (like vultures, Hyaena, and crows) are macro-consumers. Microbes like fungi and bacteria are included in micro- consumers.
Herbivores are also called primary consumers.
Carnivores eat primary consumers and also called secondary consumers. In a food chain, more than one carnivore can be found and there is a top carnivore.
In the given food chain grass is produced so first of all it will be represented.
The mouse eats grass and the mouse is eaten by the snake. Hawk is a top carnivore that eats snakes.
So the correct arrangement of the energy system is given in option A.

Note: In any ecosystem some animals are omnivores. These can eat both plants and animals so these act as different consumers in different food chains.
In a food chain energy always transferred in one direction. From producers to consumers.