why are there fewer organisms as you move toward the top of the energy pyramid?
answer - As you move up the pyramid the transfer of energy (10 pct per level is transfered) is less efficient & each level becomes smaller.
am i correct???? (please be honest)
Yes, you are correct! As you move up the energy pyramid, there is a decrease in the number of organisms. This phenomenon is due to the way energy is transferred and lost as it moves through the different trophic levels.
At the base of the pyramid are the primary producers, such as plants or algae, which convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis. They have access to a large amount of energy from the sun and can support a large number of organisms.
The next level consists of primary consumers, which are herbivores that eat the primary producers. These organisms obtain energy by consuming the plants or algae. However, only a fraction of the energy consumed is converted into biomass and made available for the next trophic level. Energy is lost through metabolic processes, heat production, and waste production.
Moving higher up the pyramid, we encounter secondary consumers that eat the primary consumers. Again, there is a further loss of energy through the transfer of biomass.
As you continue to move up, each trophic level has access to even less energy, as only a small fraction of the energy from the previous level is available. This is known as the 10% rule, where approximately 10% of the energy is transferred from one level to the next. This loss of energy limits the number of organisms that can be supported at higher trophic levels.
Therefore, the decrease in available energy and the less efficient transfer of energy as you move up the energy pyramid result in fewer organisms at higher trophic levels.