Question 16
HardOriginal questionIn the food web shown, the hawk reaches its food along several paths. At how many different trophic levels does the hawk feed?
Show the answer and explanation
CorrectNot quiteAnswer C
Correct answer: C
Explanation
A trophic level is the organism's position in a chain, counting the producer as level 1.
Grass → rabbit → hawk puts the hawk at level 3; grass → mouse → snake → hawk at level 4; grass → grasshopper → frog → snake → hawk at level 5.
So the hawk feeds at 3 different levels: 3, 4 and 5.
Worth noting
A predator with a varied diet can occupy several trophic levels at once; that is what makes a web different from a chain.
- Concept
- Trophic levels in a food web
- Typical timeTypical
- 90 s
- Your timeYours
- —
Practise this chapter →
Ten questions from Ecosystems and Biodiversity, at your own pace.