- According to the 10% rule of energy transfer in ecosystems, only about 10% of the energy available at one trophic level is transferred to the next higher trophic level. The rest is lost as heat, used for metabolic processes, or not consumed. - This drastic reduction in available energy at each successive level limits the biomass and population size that can be supported. - After a few trophic levels, there is insufficient energy remaining to support a viable population of organisms at a higher level, thus limiting the food chain length.
In an ecosystem why is the number of trophic levels of a food chain usually limited ?
Asked in UPSC CAPF 2024 · Topic: Ecology (Ecosystem Functions: Productivity, Energy Flow, Trophic Levels)
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Answer: B. Because of the loss of energy at each trophic level
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