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The table shows the amounts of energy found in four trophic levels of an ecosystem.

| Population in Trophic Level | Energy (kcal) |
|-----------------------------|---------------|
| Mangrove tree crab | 60,000 |
| American alligator | 600 |
| Mangrove | 600,000 |
| Roseate spoonbill | 6,000 |

Which claim is supported by the data?

A. The first trophic level contains the roseate spoonbill.
B. The second trophic level contains the mangrove.
C. The third trophic level contains the mangrove tree crab.

Sagot :

To determine which claim is supported by the given data, we need to understand the typical arrangement of energy across trophic levels in an ecosystem.

Generally, the energy decreases as you go up the trophic levels. The highest energy is present at the first trophic level, which consists of primary producers (plants and other autotrophs). The second trophic level comprises primary consumers that eat the producers. The third trophic level consists of secondary consumers, and so on, with each level having a progressively lower amount of energy.

Step-by-step Analysis:

1. Identify and arrange energy levels:
- Mangrove: 600,000 kcal
- Mangrove tree crab: 60,000 kcal
- Roseate spoonbill: 6,000 kcal
- American alligator: 600 kcal

2. Determine the trophic levels:
- The first trophic level should have the highest energy, which is 600,000 kcal (Mangrove).
- The second trophic level should have a lower energy than the first but higher than the third, which is 60,000 kcal. However, based on common relationships, let's proceed systematically.
- The energy continues to decrease with each higher trophic level.

3. Match energy values with corresponding trophic levels:
- Mangrove: 600,000 kcal (likely to be the first trophic level)
- Roseate spoonbill: 6,000 kcal (it fits a higher trophic level, likely second or third)
- Mangrove tree crab: 60,000 kcal (fits a middle trophic level, likely the second or third)
- American alligator: 600 kcal (lowest energy, likely the highest trophic level here, probably fourth)

4. Assess the claims:
- Claim A: "The first trophic level contains the roseate spoonbill."
- False, since the first trophic level should have the highest energy (600,000 kcal), and the roseate spoonbill is associated with 6,000 kcal.
- Claim B: "The second trophic level contains the mangrove."
- False, because the mangrove, with the highest energy (600,000 kcal), should be in the first trophic level.
- Claim C: "The third trophic level contains the mangrove tree crab."
- True, because if the first level is 600,000 kcal (Mangrove) and a possible second level could be 60,000 kcal (Mangrove tree crab), this configuration fits our deduction that the third level would indeed contain the mangrove tree crab.

Therefore, the claim supported by the data is: C. The third trophic level contains the mangrove tree crab.