IB Biology SL C4.2.14 Restrictions on Trophic Levels Questions

Link inefficient energy transfer to short food chains, lower biomass and fewer individuals at higher trophic levels in IB Biology SL C4.2.14.

Exam points

Explain that large energy losses at each transfer restrict most food chains to only a few trophic levels.
Relate declining energy availability to lower biomass and fewer individuals at higher trophic levels, using food-web or population examples.

[Maximum number: 3]

The image shows an example of a soil food web.

Explain the reasons for food chains rarely containing more than four or five trophic levels.

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a	energy is lost between the trophic levels;
b	transfer between levels is only usually 10\% efficient OR energy transformations take place in living organisms / the process is never 100\% efficient;
c	energy is lost by the organism/used in respiration/released as heat/movement;
d	energy is lost as waste/feces/urine/undigested food/uneaten parts;
e	as energy is lost between trophic levels, higher ones have less biomass / less biomass available for the next level;