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The diagram below shows a marine food chain with the amount of energy available to each trophic level in parentheses. Why does the amount of energy decrease as you move up the chain?


A.) Decomposers are using up the energy between each trophic level.
B.) Individual organisms at the upper trophic levels require less energy to survive than those at the lower ones.
C.) Producers use most of the energy before it can reach the upper levels.
D.) Some energy is lost as heat or not consumed by organisms at the next trophic level.

The diagram below shows a marine food chain with the amount of energy available to each trophic level in parentheses Why does the amount of energy decrease as y class=

Respuesta :

The best answer here will be D, as energy loss is affected by heat and consumption rates. =)

Answer:

Option C, Producers use most of the energy before it can reach the upper levels

Explanation:

In a food chain, the energy transferred to any trophic level is just the 10% of the energy available at the preceding trophic level.

Thus, a producer (phytoplankton) has 100% of the energy as it is the sole producer of energy through the process of photosynthesis,  passes only 10% of its energy to the zooplanktons.

As we move up in the trophic level, the energy goes on reducing as only 10% of the energy is passed on. Thus, Tuna will have 10% of energy of Mackerel, Mackerel will have 10% of energy of Herring, Herring will have 10% of energy of the zooplanktons and zooplanktons have 10% of energy of the phytoplanktons. Since this food chain starts with the phytoplanktons, most of the energy (nearly 90%) is consumed by the phytoplantons itself.

Therefore, most of the energy is consumed by the producer. Hence option C, is correct.

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