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.

More tertiary consumers will eat secondary consumers over producers.
More tertiary consumers will eat secondary consumers over producers.

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.

Answer 1

There isn’t enough energy available to support more secondary consumers.

Reason: producers capture solar energy, but only about 10% of the energy at one trophic level is passed to the next (roughly 90% is lost as heat/respiration). That limits the number of organisms that higher levels (like secondary consumers) can be supported.