Question

Tree $\to$ Caterpillar $\to$ Robin $\to$ Cat represents a food chain. In this food chain, if the tree can provide 100000 calories of energy, how much calories of energy will be available to the robin and the cat?

• A. 10000 and 1000 calories, respectively
• B. 1000 and 100 calories, respectively
• C. 1000 and 10000 calories, respectively
• D. 100 and 1000 calories, respectively

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

1000 and 100 calories, respectively

The amount of energy flow decreases with every successive trophic level and only 10% is passed to the next level as useable biological energy and the rest 90% is lost in the transfer. So, in the given case, 1,00,000 calories of energy is with producer that is the tree and thus caterpillar will have 10,000, robin will have 1,000 and the energy available with cat will be 100 calories.

So, the correct answer is option B.