Question

Select the appropriate option which limits the number of trophic levels in a food chain?

• A. Decrease in energy at higher trophic levels
• B. Increased food supply at higher trophic levels
• C. Polluted air in the environment
• D. Low water content in organisms

Answer 1

The correct option is A Decrease in energy at higher trophic levels

The amount of energy available gets decreased successively at each trophic level. This is because in every trophic level, some amount of energy is lost in the form of heat during biological processes. This energy cannot be transferred to the next level.
This phenomenon (loss of energy at successive trophic levels) limits the size of food chain in an ecosystem to maximum of 4 or 5 trophic levels.