Final answer:
Biomass decreases as you move up trophic levels due to the transfer of energy within an ecosystem. Only about 10% of the energy is passed onto the next level. This results in fewer organisms and less biomass at higher trophic levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
The biomass decreases as you move up trophic levels due to the transfer of energy within an ecosystem. Only about 10% of the energy at one trophic level is passed onto the next level, with the rest being used up or lost as heat. This results in fewer organisms and less biomass at higher trophic levels. For example, at the base of the food chain, producers have the largest biomass. As energy is transferred to primary consumers, the biomass decreases. This decrease continues as energy moves to secondary, tertiary, and quaternary consumers, with quaternary consumers having the least biomass.