Chapter 17, Problem 16STP

Summary Introduction

To determine:

The amount of energy available from one trophic level to organisms at the next higher trophic level.

Introduction:

Ecologists use the model of ecological pyramids to show how energy flows through ecosystems. An ecological pyramid is a diagram that can show the relative amounts of energy, biomass, or numbers of organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

Answer to Problem 16STP

Only 10% of energy is available from one trophic level to organisms at the next higher trophic level.

Explanation of Solution

The given diagram shows a pyramid of energy in which each level represents the amount of energy that is available to that trophic level. With each set- up, there is a loss of 90% of energy that is not transferred to the level above it. Only 10% of energy is transferred to the next level. This is because most of the energy contained in the organisms at each level is consumed by cellular processes or released to the environment as heat.