Question

Question

Which of the following best explains why energy transfer in a food web is described as a pyramid?(1 point)
Responses

Energy is lost at each trophic level, with less energy available to organisms higher up in the pyramid.
Energy is lost at each trophic level, with less energy available to organisms higher up in the pyramid.

There are more producers than consumers in an ecosystem.
There are more producers than consumers in an ecosystem.

Tertiary consumers receive the most energy in an ecosystem.
Tertiary consumers receive the most energy in an ecosystem.

The shape of the pyramid represents the physical structure of ecosystems.
The shape of the pyramid represents the physical structure of ecosystems.

Answer 1

The best explanation for why energy transfer in a food web is described as a pyramid is:

Energy is lost at each trophic level, with less energy available to organisms higher up in the pyramid.

This reflects the concept that as energy moves up the food chain, from producers to primary consumers, and then up to higher trophic levels (like secondary and tertiary consumers), a significant portion of energy is lost as heat and through metabolic processes, resulting in less energy being available for organisms at higher levels.