An innovative vertical farming facility uses organic vegetable pulp waste from a commercial juicing plant to rear black soldier fly (BSF) larvae. These protein-rich larvae are harvested, dried, and processed into feed pellets for free-range laying hens.
Sketch a pyramid of biomass for the food chain described that results in biomass for the laying hens. Label all three levels of the pyramid.
Describe two reasons why the biomass of the black soldier fly larvae consumed by the laying hens is not all converted into biomass of the hens.
Explain how rearing poultry on insect larvae fed on organic vegetable waste, rather than using traditional soy meal grown on deforested land, can improve human food security in the future.
61 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Biology 7.4 Trophic levels in an ecosystem, covering 7.4.1 Trophic levels, 7.4.2 Pyramids of biomass, and 7.4.3 Transfer of biomass. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.