Question

a. Based on the principle of transfer efficiency in a food chain, why are all of the large terrestrial mammals (e.g., elephant) herbivores rather than carnivores?

b. How can a large marine organism such as a great white shark exist in the apparently unproductive (clear, blue) water off Bermuda? If there is so little food in the water, what does it eat?

Answer 1

A) elephant is giant animal which required large amount of energy to carry out it's routine work so if it would depend on carnivores than it has to take huge no. Of Carnivores to satisfy it's energy need as energy gain is 10% less as compared to herbivores. As in food chain herbivore comes earlier than Carnivores and we higher the organism in tropic level of food chain less will be energy gain (10% law) that's why elephant depends on herbivores to feed it's enegry need as it has more energy compared to carnivores.

B) if Bermuda water is not having larger animal then shark wil depens on lower level organism for their survival if higher tropic levels are absent. So shark instread of eating fish, it will shift it's food on zooplanketons coral reef shrimp etc.

Also shark will develop stratagy to maintain their body temp matching with its environment as it is cold blooded animal. So much of energy is saved as it doesn't have to maintain constant body temp. Similarly shark develop several stratagy by which energy use can be minimize which help them to sustain in non productive Bermuda water.

Hope it's clear.thanks