Food chains are parts of food webs, in which we go from plants at the first trophic level (primary producers) to a second trophic level, and so on. Why do food chains in nature rarely exceed 4 or 5 levels?
A. because evolution has not yet created that degree of complexity
B. because organisms die more easily at the higher levels
C. because of inefficiencies, the available energy becomes less and less at higher levels
D. because food chains limit the levels of food webs

Food chains usually consist of 4 to 5 levels due to energy inefficiencies. Each level only transfers about 10% of its energy to the next, making it increasingly difficult to support organisms at higher trophic levels. This phenomenon highlights the role of primary producers in sustaining ecosystems. ;

Answered by GinnyAnswer | 2025-07-05

Food chains rarely exceed 4 to 5 levels primarily due to energy inefficiencies, where only about 10% of energy transfers from one level to the next. This significant energy loss means that higher trophic levels have insufficient energy to sustain more organisms. Thus, ecosystems typically support only a limited number of levels, highlighting the importance of primary producers.
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Answered by Anonymous | 2025-07-06