please explain why biomass and energy decreases fron one trophic level to the next

Answer 1

Each stage in a food chain containing many organisms can be complicated. But the basic explanation is that: an organism within a food web or chain is a potential source of food for other organisms. Energy flows through these food chains, right through an ecosystem starting with a primary producer right up to the top of a chain to a tertiary consumer. This is usually measured by the amount of energy which is captured by photosynthesis from a primary producer. When the primary producer is consumed by another organism (a primary consumer) The energy which was originally captured through photosynthesis is converted into either biomass or lost to respiration/ waste products. This continues up the food chain to the tertiary consumer. So essentially at each stage the original energy is continuously lost through each stage through these processes.