Question

Assertion : In a food chain members of successive higher levels are fewer in number.

Reason : Number of organisms at any trophic level depends upon the availability of organisms which serve as food at the lower level.

• A. Both statements A and R are correct and statement R is the correct explanation of statement A
• B. Both statements A and R are correct and statement R is not the explanation of statement A.
• C. Statement A is correct and statement R is incorrect.
• D. Both statements A and R are incorrect.

Answer 1

The correct option is A

Both statements A and R are correct and statement R is the correct explanation of statement A

In studies of energy flow, the number of organisms at any trophic level depends upon the availability of organisms which serve as food at the lower level. If the number of producers is more it will support a larger number of herbivores which in turn can support a large number of carnivores. For exmaple, one bird eats many insects, therefore the insect population should be many times the size of the bird that preys on them. Therefore the number of organisms decreases at higher trophic levels in most food chains.