Question

Why are there less secondary consumers in an ecosystem than producers?(1 point) Responses There isn’t enough energy available to support more secondary consumers. There isn’t enough energy available to support more secondary consumers. Around 90% of energy from one trophic level to the next is available. Around 90% of energy from one trophic level to the next is available. There is less land to use for habitat after the producers grow. There is less land to use for habitat after the producers grow. More tertiary consumers will eat secondary consumers over producers.

Answer 1

The correct response is: There isn’t enough energy available to support more secondary consumers.

In an ecosystem, energy decreases as it moves up trophic levels due to the 10% energy transfer rule, where approximately 90% of the energy is lost at each level (primarily through metabolic processes as heat). As a result, there are generally fewer secondary consumers than primary producers because the energy available to sustain them is limited.