Why are food chains typically limited to a maximum of five trophic levels?

• A. Because there are not enough species to form more than five levels in any ecosystem.
• B. Because higher trophic levels cannot survive due to increased competition for sunlight.
• C. Because energy is lost at each trophic level, leaving insufficient energy to support additional levels.
• D. Because decomposers prevent the formation of more than five trophic levels.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of trophic levels: Trophic levels represent the hierarchical positions in a food chain, starting with producers (plants and algae) at the first level, followed by primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores), and so on.
2. Learn about energy transfer in ecosystems: Energy flows through trophic levels, but only a small fraction (approximately 10%) of the energy is transferred from one level to the next. The rest is lost as heat, metabolic processes, or waste.
3. Recognize the implications of energy loss: Due to the significant energy loss at each trophic level, there is progressively less energy available to support organisms at higher levels. This limits the number of trophic levels an ecosystem can sustain.
4. Understand why ecosystems rarely exceed five trophic levels: The energy available at the fifth trophic level is often insufficient to support additional levels, as the energy diminishes drastically with each transfer.
5. Clarify misconceptions: The limitation of trophic levels is not due to a lack of species, competition for sunlight, or decomposers. It is primarily due to the inefficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels.