Question

The pyramid of energy is always upright for any ecosystem. This situation indicates that ______________.

• A. producers have the lowest energy conversion efficiency
• B. carnivores have a better energy conversion than herbivores
• C. energy conversion is the same in all trophic levels
• D. energy flow will be blocked

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (B)

The correct options are
A producers have the lowest energy conversion efficiency
B carnivores have a better energy conversion than herbivores

Energy flow in an ecosystem is governed by the second law of thermodynamics , which states that 'energy is neither created nor destroyed but is transformed from one form to another. And energy transfer in a food chain is explained by Lindemann's law of 10% energy transfer. This law states that whenever energy is transformed, there is a loss of energy through the release of heat. Energy pyramids are the graphical representation of energy flow in an ecosystem. Each level in the energy pyramid indicates the amount of energy present at that trophic level in a given time. Since energy is lost at each trophic level, each successive levels will be smaller, and therefore pyramid of energy is always broader at the base and gets narrow at the apex. This indicates that producers have the highest energy conversion, carnivores that are higher up the trophic level have lower conversion efficiency and the top-carnivores with least conversion efficiency.