Energy Flow Through Ecosystems

AP Biology· difficulty 2/5

10 kJ 100 kJ 1,000 kJ 10,000 kJ

The decreasing energy at each level illustrates which ecological principle?

  • A

    Carbon is recycled but energy is not

  • B

    ~10% of energy is transferred between trophic levels

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  • C

    Mass is created at each trophic level

  • D

    Energy increases up a food chain

Explanation

The 10% rule states that roughly 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next; the rest is lost mostly as heat.

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