Why is there less biomass at the top of the energy pyramid?(1 point)

Question

Responses

Secondary and tertiary consumers have to consume a lot more food to support themselves, so there are fewer of them.
Secondary and tertiary consumers have to consume a lot more food to support themselves, so there are fewer of them.

Secondary and tertiary consumers are larger, so there are fewer of them.
Secondary and tertiary consumers are larger, so there are fewer of them.

Secondary and tertiary consumers live longer, so there are fewer of them because they reproduce more slowly.
Secondary and tertiary consumers live longer, so there are fewer of them because they reproduce more slowly.

Secondary and tertiary consumers have bigger ranges, so there are fewer of them because they each need a lot of space.

Answer 1

The correct response is:

Secondary and tertiary consumers have to consume a lot more food to support themselves, so there are fewer of them.

This is because energy is lost at each trophic level due to metabolic processes, which means that there is less available biomass and energy for the organisms at higher levels of the food chain. As a result, fewer secondary and tertiary consumers can be supported in the ecosystem compared to primary producers and primary consumers.