Question

Which of the following best explains why the number of organisms at each level decreases while moving up the energy pyramid?

Answer 1

The animals at each level use energy, so only a small amount of their energy is available to the next level

Step-by-step explanation:

Each level in a food chain provides energy for the level above it. However, the organisms at each level also use some of the energy to survive. This means that only about ten percent of the energy produced at each level is available to the level above it.(study island)

Answer 2

The amount of energy passed on from an organism is 10% of the energy it received.

Step-by-step explanation:

As an animal consumes another, they need energy for themselves, so not all of the energy is able to be transferred to the next consumer that eats them.