Trophic Levels DQCs

Tracing matter (carbon) is key to understanding how and why mass decreases as trophic
levels increase. During each transformation step, matter is converted from organic forms
to gaseous forms during cellular respiration. Students who fail to recognize or apply the
process of cellular respiration during photosynthesis, herbivory and predation struggle to
understand changes in biomass at different trophic levels. Carbon in Nature and
Trophic Transfer are two Diagnostic uestion !lusters (D!"s) that can diagnose
student understanding of the processes involved mass relationships between trophic
levels. #ultiple process $uestions ask students to identify carbon in different trophic
levels, and subse$uent $uestions focus on the single processes involved in regulating the
mass at different trophic levels. The names of individual $uestions categorized by process
are shown in the table below.
Processes Carbon in Nature Trophic Transfer
#ultiple %rocess !&'()&T*' (+) T'*%#&SS (+)
%hotosynthesis ,**D#*-. (/),
0'&SS!*/( (1)
%2&)T'.S%& (3),
,**D#*-. (/)
Transformation 4 %lant to %lant ,**D#*-. (/) ,**D#*-. (/),
!&'(%&T5S( (6b)
Transformation 4 %lant to Soil !&'(%&T5SD (6d)
Transformation 4 %lant to &nimal ,7,..D8)0 (9) ,7,..D8)0 (:),
!&'(%&T5S! (6c)
Transformation 4 &nimal to &nimal ,7,..D8)0 (9) D..'7*2- (1),
,7,..D8)0 (:)
'espiration 4 Decomposition D.!D8.D (3)
'espiration 4 %lants !*/&T# (:) %2&)T'.S%& (3),
!&'(%&T5S& (6a)
'espiration 4 &nimals !*/&T# (:) ,&T+1 (9)
!ombustion !*/&T# (:)
Carbon in Nature Diagnostic Question Cluster
Please answer the questions below as carefully and completely as you can.
+. !arbon e;ists in different molecules or substances in nature. %lease e;plain where
carbon might e;ist in a forest.
uestion< =.S
or )*
8f =.S, what substances
in these locations contain
the carbon>
8f =.S, where did the carbon
in these substances come
from>
Do you think you
would find carbon
in trees>
Do you think you
would find carbon
in the soil>
Do you think you
would find carbon
in animals, like
deer and wolves>
Do you think you
would find carbon
in bacteria in the
soil>
Do you think you
would find carbon
in the air>
7here else you might you find carbon>
/. Draw arrows to e;plain how food moves through a green plant. .;plain what the
plant"s food is, and where it comes from.
3a. 7hat would happen to the carbon cycle if all decomposers suddenly died and were
not replenished> Decide whether each statement is true (T) or false (,).
T , !arbon would accumulate in organic matter.
T , There would be more carbon in the soil for plants to absorb.
T , !arbon would cycle more rapidly without decomposers.
T , !arbon in the atmosphere would increase.
3b. !ircle all correct answers. The reason for my responses are that ?
&) plants get their carbon from soil through their roots.
() decomposers serve as a @sinkA for carbon and hold it in reserve.
!) with no decomposers the carbon isn"t released as !*/.
D) with one less segment of the food web, carbon would cycle faster.
.) )one applyB 8 wrote my reason to the right of the $uestion.
9. *rganisms higher in a food web<
&) eat everything that is lower on the food web.
() eat organisms directly below them in the food web, but not lower than that.
!) eat only some species directly below them in the food web, but not lower than
that.
D) eat only some species directly below them in the food web and some others lower
in the food web as well.
%lease e;plain your answer.
1. .;plain how increased carbon dio;ide in the atmosphere might affect the grasses
growing on a soccer field.
:. !arbon e;ists in the atmosphere, where could it have come from> !ircle all correct
answers.
&) %hotosynthesis by plants
() Diffusion from the ocean
!) !ellular respiration by plants
D) !ellular respiration by animals
.) !ellular respiration by bacteria
,) %hotosynthesis by fungi
0) (urning of biofuels
5) (urning of fossil fuels
8) Depletion of the ozone layer