Which of the following best explains why there are fewer secondary consumers than producers?
A. Around 10% of the energy is transferred to support the next trophic level
B. More secondary consumers can absorb radiant energy from the sun
C. Secondary consumers have less cell processes that need energy
D. Heat energy given off from producers kills of primary and secondary consumers
A. Around 10% of the energy is transferred to support the next trophic level.
This is known as the 10% rule, which states that only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level. The rest is lost as heat or used for metabolic processes. Therefore, there is less energy available at higher trophic levels, resulting in fewer organisms being able to be supported.