Final answer:
Meerkats are at a lower trophic level than eagles and have a greater amount of energy stored in their population due to higher energy availability at lower trophic levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves comparing the trophic levels and energy distribution in the meerkat and eagle populations. Meerkats are primarily insectivores (although they are opportunistic and can eat a variety of foods) and could be considered to be primary consumers, generally feeding directly on producers in the ecosystem such as plants, insects, and small animals. Eagles, however, are typically predators, often feeding on primary consumers like rodents, fish, and sometimes even meerkats, placing them at a higher trophic level as secondary or tertiary consumers.
According to the principles of ecological pyramids and energy transfer in ecosystems, only about 10 percent of the energy at one trophic level is available to the next level. Therefore, as eagles are at a higher trophic level than meerkats, the amount of energy stored in the meerkat population would be greater. This is because there is more energy at the lower trophic levels and this energy decreases with each ascending level due to the second law of thermodynamics, where energy is lost as metabolic heat, among other factors.
Thus, the correct statement comparing trophic levels and energy distribution in the meerkat and eagle populations is: "Meerkats are at a lower trophic level in the ecosystem than eagles, and the amount of energy stored in the meerkat population is greater than."