Question

Using the image below of a marine food web, answer the following question: Which of the following correctly describes how the amount of energy changes as it flows through trophic levels? (1 point) Responses When leopard seals consume birds, about 10 percent of the birds' energy is transferred to the leopard seals. When leopard seals consume birds, about 10 percent of the birds' energy is transferred to the leopard seals. Energy decreases as it is transferred from krill to birds, since krill are producers and birds are primary consumers. Energy decreases as it is transferred from krill to birds, since krill are producers and birds are primary consumers. Energy increases as it is transferred from squid to leopard seals, since leopard seals are more massive than squid. Energy increases as it is transferred from squid to leopard seals, since leopard seals are more massive than squid. When fish consume the carnivorous plankton, about 90 percent of the plankton's energy is transferred to the fish.

Answer 1

The correct description of how energy changes as it flows through trophic levels is: **When leopard seals consume birds, about 10 percent of the birds' energy is transferred to the leopard seals.**

In a food web, energy decreases as it flows from one trophic level to the next, typically following the rule of thumb that approximately 10% of the energy is transferred from one level to the next due to energy used in metabolic processes and heat loss. The other responses either misrepresent the relationships between trophic levels or inaccurately describe the percentages of energy transfer.