50 likes | 227 Views
Pass it on. Trophic Levels and Biomagnification. Trophic Levels. 10% of the matter consumed by an organism is passed on 90% is lost as heat energy used to support body function. The same ratio occurs in toxin found in food sources
E N D
Pass it on Trophic Levels and Biomagnification
Trophic Levels • 10% of the matter consumed by an organism is passed on • 90% is lost as heat energy used to support body function
The same ratio occurs in toxin found in food sources • Predators consume non-biodegradable toxins in their prey incorporating it into their own body.
But… • Since the body does not know how to recognize the toxin, the amount of toxin in the body is magnified by 10%. • This is biomagnification • Example • Producer (0.01%) Primary Consumer (0.1%) Secondary Consumer (1%) Tertiary Consumer (10%)
So what about bioaccumulation? • Some toxins are not degraded fast enough by the body and build up in the system where they are stored in fats. • The longer it takes for the toxins to breakdown the greater the risk of poisoning even when there is not much of the toxin in the environment.