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

Question

Responses

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

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

Answer 1

The best response to explain why there is less biomass at the top of the energy pyramid 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 transfer in an ecosystem is inefficient, with only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level being available to the next. As a result, fewer organisms can be supported at the higher levels of the pyramid, leading to lower biomass in those tiers.