Why does each trophic level have a smaller amount of organisms or biomass than the one below it? A. Because higher trophic levels have lower survival rates for offspring. B. Because each trophic level has larger organisms than the one below it. C. Because the higher trophic levels have to hunt the lower trophic levels, so they- use most of the energy that they gain from eating. D. Because each trophic level is only absorbing 10% of the previous, so there is not enough energy to sustain larger numbers.

Each trophic level has a smaller amount of organisms or biomass than the one below it because it is only absorbing 10% of the energy from the lower level, so there is not enough energy to sustain larger numbers.

A trophic level refers to a level in the food chain consisting of the same or biologically similar organisms. Examples of trophic levels include producer, consumer, and decomposer.Organisms in the lower trophic level serve as food for organisms in the next trophic level of the food chain.Only about 10% of the energy derivable from one trophic level gets to the next trophic level, the remaining is lost as heat during metabolic processes.Hence, the number of organisms progressively decreases as we climb higher in the food chain. The limit to the amount of energy transferred as we move higher means that the number of individuals that can be sustained will also be limited.

The correct option would, therefore, be D.

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