Use your knowledge of energy flow in ecosystems | Homework Helpers

1. Vegetarians sometimes claim more people can be supported when they eat plants than when they eat animals. Use your knowledge of energy flow in ecosystems to explain why the production of 500 calories of hamburger requires more solar energy than production of 500 calories of corn. Think about the food chain that ends in you eating a hamburger vs. the food chain that ends in you eating corn.

2. It might also be more efficient to feed people herbivorous fish than beef. The fish eat algae, which is 70% digestible, while cows eat grass, which is 30% digestible. The fish are cold-blooded while the cows are warm-blooded. Explain, in terms of assimilation efficiency and production efficiency, why more people can be fed from the fish than the cows (assuming similar amounts of algae/grass).