Consider the following food chains:
(a) $P l a n t s \to M i c e \to S n a k e s \to H a w k s$
(b) $P l a n t s \to M i c e \to H a w k s$
If energy available at the producer level in both the food chains is 100 J, in which case will hawks get more energy as food and by what factor? Justify your answer.

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Solution

In the case of (b), hawks will get more energy as they are placed at the third trophic level in the food chain but in the food chain (a), they are placed at the fourth trophic level. According to 10% law, only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to next. So organisms placed at higher trophic levels will get less energy than organisms placed at lower trophic levels. If energy available at the producer level in both the food chains is 100 J than in the first case according to 10% law, mice will get 10 J of energy which is 10% of 100 J, snakes will get 1 J and Hawks will get 0.1 J. In the second case, mice will get 10 J and hawks will get 1 J according to 10% law. So, in the first case, hawks will get 0.1 J and in second case hawks will get 1 J of energy from food.

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Q. (b) Consider the following food chains :

(i) Plants → Mice → Snakes → Hawks
(ii) Plants → Mice → Hawks

If energy available at the producer level in both the food chains is 100 J, in which case will hawks get more energy as food and by how much? Justify your answer.

Consider the following food chains:

If energy available at the producer level in both the food chain is 100 J, in which case will hawks get more energy and by how much? Justify your answer.

Q. In the following food chain, plants provide

500 J

of energy to rats. How much energy will be available to hawks from snakes?

P l a n t s \to R a t s \to S n a k e s \to H a w k s

Q. (b) How much energy will be available to hawks in the food chain comprising hawk, snake, paddy and mice, if 10,000 J of energy is available to paddy from the sun?

Sun $\to$ Plants $\to$ Mice $\to$ Snakes $\to$ Hawks

From the given food chain, which of the following best describes the hawk?

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Consider the following food chains:(a)Plants→Mice→Snakes→Hawks(b)Plants→Mice→Hawks If energy available at the producer level in both the food chains is 100 J, in which case will hawks get more energy as food and by what factor? Justify your answer.