Question
Why do higher trophic levels in most ecosystems contain fewer organisms than lower trophic levels?
Energy available for use to the highest trophic level is small
Energy available for use to the lowest trophic level is small.
Energy available for use to the highest trophic level is large.
Energy available for use to the highest and lowest trophic levels is the same.
Energy available for use to the highest trophic level is small
Energy available for use to the lowest trophic level is small.
Energy available for use to the highest trophic level is large.
Energy available for use to the highest and lowest trophic levels is the same.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is: **Energy available for use to the highest trophic level is small.**
In ecosystems, energy transfer between trophic levels is inefficient, with only about 10% of the energy from one level being passed on to the next higher level (this is known as the 10% rule). As a result, there is significantly less energy available for organisms at higher trophic levels compared to those at lower levels. This limited energy results in fewer organisms being able to survive at the higher trophic levels.
In ecosystems, energy transfer between trophic levels is inefficient, with only about 10% of the energy from one level being passed on to the next higher level (this is known as the 10% rule). As a result, there is significantly less energy available for organisms at higher trophic levels compared to those at lower levels. This limited energy results in fewer organisms being able to survive at the higher trophic levels.