Energy is ______ as you go through trophic levels?

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Multiple Choice

Energy is ______ as you go through trophic levels?

Explanation:
Energy decreases as you move through trophic levels because organisms use energy for metabolism, movement, growth, and keeping their bodies functioning. Even though producers capture energy from the sun, most of that energy ends up being used or lost as heat rather than stored for transfer to the next level. In typical ecosystems, only a small fraction, about 10%, is passed on to the next trophic level while roughly 90% is lost at each step. This continual loss means there’s less energy available higher up, so energy is lost rather than constant, multiplied, or gained as you ascend the food chain.

Energy decreases as you move through trophic levels because organisms use energy for metabolism, movement, growth, and keeping their bodies functioning. Even though producers capture energy from the sun, most of that energy ends up being used or lost as heat rather than stored for transfer to the next level. In typical ecosystems, only a small fraction, about 10%, is passed on to the next trophic level while roughly 90% is lost at each step. This continual loss means there’s less energy available higher up, so energy is lost rather than constant, multiplied, or gained as you ascend the food chain.

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