Think Of A Cartoon Show Or Character, Create A Food Web

Think Of A Cartoon Show Or A Character Create A Food Web That Involve

Think of a cartoon show or a character. Create a food web that involves your chosen character (can use characters from the show or from other shows - it just has to make sense). The food web should have at least 4 cartoon characters (species). The only exception is producers (plants/algae/phytoplankton) since you may not find a cartoon character for it, so you can just use a graphic. Make sure your food web starts with a producer.

You may use Canva (Links to an external site.), Piktochart (Links to an external site.), PowerPoint or any other tool that you are familiar with to create your infographic. Your infographic should encompass the concepts in a visually pleasing way (including photos of the characters chosen). An infographic is a collection of imagery, charts, and minimal text that gives an easy-to-understand overview of a topic, typically on one page not multiple slides (learn how to change the size of a PowerPoint slide (Links to an external site.) to make it all one page).

Here is an example template (you must fill the blanks with the correct information and remove reminder bubbles). This example is using characters from SpongeBob SquarePants.

I checked each organism to make sure that it eats the next in real life. You may use this as a template but you may not use the same characters. For the infographic, you should: Classify each species in the food web as a producer, herbivore, omnivore, or carnivore (don't use decomposers or detritivores). Make sure that the species you select are appropriate for the ecosystem and that they would eat (or be eaten) by the other species in your example. I will check!!

Create an energy/trophic pyramid using the organisms from your food web. Label the 1) producers, 2) primary consumers, 3) secondary consumers, and 4) tertiary consumers. Make sure EACH trophic level is represented. Summarize the 10% energy rule (should be in your own words). Apply the 10% energy rule to your pyramid.

Start with 5000 kJ at the producer level. How many kJ are available at each subsequent trophic level? Thoroughly explain in your own words what it means in relation to energy and heat.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Understanding energy flow within ecosystems is fundamental to ecology, and creating a food web based on cartoon characters offers a unique, engaging way to illustrate these concepts. This paper develops a simplified food web involving four cartoon characters, classifies each organism's trophic level, and applies the 10% energy rule to understand energy transfer and loss across the web. The primary aim is to convey the principles of energy flow, trophic interactions, and ecological efficiencies through a visual, relatable medium.

Constructing the Food Web

For this exercise, I selected characters from the animated show "The Lion Guard." The chosen characters include Kion (a lion cub), Bunga (a honey badger), Fuli (a cheetah), and Ono (an egret). The producer in this ecosystem is represented by a graphic of grass, which provides the foundation for the food web. The interactions are based on real-life dietary habits, where Kion (a carnivore) preys on smaller characters, Bunga (an omnivore) consumes insects or small animals, Fuli (a carnivore) hunts small mammals, and Ono, primarily a filter feeder, consumes fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Classification of Species

• Producer: Grass (graphic)
• Primary Consumer: Insects (eaten by Bunga)
• Secondary Consumer: Bunga (omnivore, eats insects and small animals)
• Tertiary Consumers: Kion and Fuli (carnivores that hunt other animals)
• Quaternary Consumer: None, but for completeness, Kion occasionally preys on Fuli or other predators, placing it at the top of the web.

Energy/Trophic Pyramid and 10% Energy Rule

Assuming the energy available at the producer level is 5000 kJ, the 10% energy rule states that only about 10% of the energy at one trophic level is transferred to the next. This means that, as energy flows up the pyramid, it diminishes rapidly, with the majority lost as heat due to metabolic processes.

Application of the 10% Rule

• Producers (grass): 5000 kJ
• Primary Consumers (insects): 10% of 5000 kJ = 500 kJ
• Secondary Consumers (Bunga): 10% of 500 kJ = 50 kJ
• Tertiary Consumers (Kion and Fuli): 10% of 50 kJ = 5 kJ

This substantial decrease illustrates how energy is lost at each step, primarily as heat due to respiration and other metabolic activities. Not all organisms utilize all the energy they obtain, leading to inefficiencies. The pyramid shape visually demonstrates that fewer energy units are available at higher trophic levels, limiting the number of top predators that can be supported.

Discussion

The concept of energy transfer efficiency is crucial in understanding ecological dynamics. The 10% rule indicates that approximately 90% of energy is lost at each level, emphasizing the importance of primary producers in supporting ecosystems. It also explains why food chains are usually limited in length. In a cartoon-based ecosystem, these principles help clarify the real-world limitations and the structure of food webs, making complex ecological processes more accessible.

Conclusion

Constructing a food web with cartoon characters encapsulates essential ecological concepts such as trophic levels and energy transfer. The application of the 10% energy rule demonstrates energy diminishment within ecosystems, highlighting the importance of primary producers and the vulnerability of top predators to energy constraints. Such models serve as engaging educational tools to foster understanding of ecological principles.

References

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• Layman, C. A. et al. (2012). Body size mediates the response of marine consumers to temperature. Ecology, 93(2), 379-385.
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