Question

1. read the conclusion: apex predators must eat much more than consumers who are lower on the food chain in order to get the energy they need. which selection from the article provides the best support for the statement above? a. in the desert ecosystem, an owl or eagle may prey on the snake. top predators, also called apex predators, eat other consumers. lions are apex predators in the grassland ecosystem. b. in the ocean, fish such as the great white shark are apex predators. in the desert, bobcats and mountain lions are top predators. consumers can be carnivores or omnivores. c. primary consumers, such as sea turtles and fish, eat the seagrass. predators, such as sharks or tuna, eat the fish. by the time people eat the tuna, it may have a large amount of bioaccumulated toxins in its body. d. biomass shrinks with each trophic level. that is because between 80 and 90 percent of an organisms energy, or biomass, is lost as heat or waste. a predator consumes only the remaining biomass.

Explanation:

The conclusion emphasizes that apex predators need to eat more than lower - level consumers for energy. Option D explains that biomass (which is related to energy available) shrinks at each trophic level as 80 - 90% of an organism's energy is lost as heat or waste. So, a predator (including apex predators) has to consume more (since only a small portion of the previous level's biomass/energy is available) to get the energy it needs. Options A and B only define apex predators and give examples. Option C talks about bioaccumulation of toxins, not about energy consumption.

Answer:

D. Biomass shrinks with each trophic level. That is because between 80 and 90 percent of an organism's energy, or biomass, is lost as heat or waste. A predator consumes only the remaining biomass.