Question

the amount of available energy changes between the trophic levels found in a food chain or energy pyramid. photos (left to right) by mehmet karatay, jens buurgaard nielsen, furryscaly, and walter siegmund how would the amount of available energy differ in the trophic level of the mouse compared to the trophic level of the hawk? a. available energy would increase from the mouse to the hawk. b. available energy would decrease from the mouse to the hawk. c. available energy would initially increase from the mouse to the hawk, and then decrease over time. d. available energy would remain the same from the mouse to the hawk.

Explanation:

In a food - chain or energy pyramid, energy transfer between trophic levels follows the 10% rule. Producers (like plants) capture energy from the sun. As we move up the trophic levels from primary consumers (like the mouse) to higher - level consumers (like the hawk), energy is lost at each step. This is because organisms use a significant portion of the energy they consume for their own metabolic processes such as respiration, growth, and reproduction. Only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is passed on to the next trophic level. So, the available energy decreases as we move from the mouse to the hawk.

Answer:

b. Available energy would decrease from the mouse to the hawk.