Question

Why does a food chain consist of only three to four steps?

Answer 1

Food chains and the number of steps:

1. Food chain: It is the arrangement of organisms in different trophic levels through which the energy is passed onto the next trophic level.
2. Food chains follow the ten percent energy law, according to which only 10% of the total energy is passed onto the higher trophic levels, whereas 90% of energy is lost in the form of heat into the environment.
3. Based on the 10% energy law, if food chains are longer, then the organisms present at a higher trophic level will get significantly less energy.
4. To provide organisms with sufficient energy in the body, it is good to have food chains with only three to four steps.