Question

How does inefficient transfer of energy among trophic levels result in the typically high endangerment status of many top-level predators? select one:

a. predators are more disease-prone than animals at lower trophic levels.
b. top-level predators are constrained to have small populations that are sparsely distributed.
c. predators have relatively large population sizes.
d. predators have short life spans and short reproductive periods?

Answer 1

Inefficient transfer of energy among trophic levels result in the typically high endangerment status of many top-level predators in that; the top-level predators are constrained to have small populations that are sparsely distributed. Only a fraction of the energy available at one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level, this is because most energy is lost at each trophic level in form of heat energy.