Which of the following best explains why food chains are sometimes short?
A) only a single species of herbivore feeds on each plant species
B) local extinction of a species causes extinction of the other species in its food chain
C) the transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next higher level is inefficient
D) predator species tend to be less diverse and less abundant than prey species

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next is inefficient, with typically only about 10% of the energy being passed on. This energy loss at each step limits the number of trophic levels a food chain can support, often resulting in shorter food chains.

Which of the Following Best Explains Why Food Chains Are