Because energy is lost during assimilation and production only less than 25% of the energy at one trophic level advances to the next trophic level.
a. true
b. false

False

Explanation:

Green plants are autotrophs which make food through photosynthesis. Most of the energy is used by the organism itself for the metabolic function, lost as heat and approximately 10% of the energy is stored in the plants is used up by the herbivores (primary consumers) and 10% of energy of the herbivores is available as a food for the carnivores (tertiary consumer ). Therefore, the top consumers get the least energy. In an ecological pyramid, the pyramid of energy is always upright because the energy and biomass are always reducing from producer to tertiary consumer.