Food chains/webs describe feeding relationships and energy flow within ecosystems. As one organism is consumed by another there is substantial losses in production as energy passes from one trophic level to the next. Choose a simple food chain that you wish to investigate and create a model that describes energy flow from one trophic level to the next. The ratio of production at one trophic level to production at the next higher trophic level is called the conversion efficiency. Determine the conversion efficiency of your food chain.
Theory
- Compartment models (Neuhauser, Claudia. Calculus for Biology and Medicine. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. 587; DMB pg. 7)
References