Why are there fewer organisms at the top of the food chain?
A. There are fewer organisms at the top because they are bigger.
B. There are fewer organisms at the top because they are predators.
C. There are fewer organisms at the top because some energy is lost in every energy transfer.
D. There are not fewer organisms at the top of the food chain.

Fewer organisms exist at the top of the food chain primarily because energy is lost in transfers between trophic levels. As energy diminishes down the food chain, it leads to smaller populations of predators. This principle highlights the efficiency of energy transfer in ecosystems. ;

Answered by GinnyAnswer | 2025-07-07

Fewer organisms are found at the top of the food chain because energy is lost with each transfer between trophic levels, leading to smaller populations of predators. This phenomenon is often explained by the '10% Rule', where only about 10% of the energy is available for the next level. Therefore, since energy diminishes, there are typically fewer organisms at the top than at lower levels of the food chain.
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Answered by Anonymous | 2025-07-08