Question

In a food pyramid, there is typically less biomass at the top (there are fewer individual tertiary consumers, whereas there are numerous individual producers). Why is there typically less biomass at the top of a food pyramid compared to the base?(1 point) Responses Because tertiary consumers store more energy than producers, leading to less energy loss and smaller populations at the top of the food pyramid. Because tertiary consumers store more energy than producers, leading to less energy loss and smaller populations at the top of the food pyramid. Because energy is lost at each level of the food chain, less energy is available to support tertiary consumers, resulting in fewer individuals at the top. Because energy is lost at each level of the food chain, less energy is available to support tertiary consumers, resulting in fewer individuals at the top. Because producers rely on tertiary consumers for energy, limiting the growth of producer populations at the base of the food pyramid. Because producers rely on tertiary consumers for energy, limiting the growth of producer populations at the base of the food pyramid. Because tertiary consumers are more efficient at energy transfer, allowing them to support large populations despite limited energy availability.

Answer 1

The correct response is: Because energy is lost at each level of the food chain, less energy is available to support tertiary consumers, resulting in fewer individuals at the top.

This statement accurately reflects the concept of energy transfer in an ecological pyramid. As energy moves up from producers (at the base of the pyramid) to primary and secondary consumers, a significant amount of energy is lost at each trophic level due to processes such as respiration, heat loss, and waste. As a result, there is much less energy available to sustain the larger populations characteristic of higher trophic levels, which is why there are typically fewer individuals (and therefore less biomass) at the top of a food pyramid.