Which of the following best describes the flow of energy in the Everglades food web shown below? (4 points) Diagram for an everglades food web. The food web contains the following organisms: American alligator, egret, raccoon, carp, Key deer, insects, Southern leopard frog, mangrove, and sawgrass. Mangrove is at the bottom of the food web, with arrows pointing to Key deer and insects. Sawgrass is also at the bottom of the web, with an arrow pointing to insects. Key deer, insects and Southern leopard frog are on the next level up. The Key deer has an arrow pointing to American alligator. The insects point to egret, carp, and Southern leopard frog. The Southern leopard frog points to the American alligator and the raccoon. The egret, carp and raccoon all points upward toward the American alligator. The carp also points to the egret. The American alligator is at the top of the food web. Mangrove → insects → carp → American alligator; about 90 percent of the energy in one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level. Sawgrass → insects → Southern leopard frog → raccoon → American alligator; about 10 percent of the energy in one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level. American alligator → carp → insects → mangrove; about 10 percent of the energy in one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level. Egret → insects → mangrove → key deer → American alligator; about 90 percent of the energy in one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level.

Although there is no diagrammatic representation of the food web but the question can be answered based on the provided information. The answer is:

Sawgrass → insects → Southern leopard frog → raccoon → American alligator; about 10 percent of the energy in one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level.

Explanation:

Food web is an interconnected food chain i.e. a series of food chains clustered together. A food web represents the various ways one organism can feed on another in a cycle. Since a food web consists of many food chains, energy is transferred when one organism feeds on another (flow of energy).

Just like a food chain, a food web begins with a PRODUCER, which is an organism capable of producing its own food via photosynthesis. This is the case of mangrove and sawgrass in this depicted food web as they are both producers and hence, must start the food web i.e. be at the bottom of the food web. Organisms called CONSUMERS feed on producers and one another to obtain energy. Consumers can be primary, secondary or tertiary depending on the organism they feed on. Primary consumers feed directly on producers, secondary consumer on primary and tertiary consumers on secondary, in that order.

This accounts for why the American Alligator is at the top of the food web because it is a tertiary consumer.

However, as organisms feed on one another, only about 10% of the available energy is transferred because most of the energy (about 90%) has been used for metabolic processes and hence, lost as heat.

Therefore, the best description for the flow of energy in the Everglades food web is:

Sawgrass → insects → Southern leopard frog → raccoon → American alligator; about 10 percent of the energy in one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level.

Sawgrass is the producer and must begin the energy flow, followed by a primary consumer (insect). Feeding continues in that order until the tertiary consumer (American alligator) is reached.