Question

Why do different food chains in an ecosystem not have more than four to five trophic levels? Give reason.

Answer 1

Organisms hold a certain position in the food chain based on the source of their sustenance or food. The three trophic levels producers (first trophic level), consumers (second trophic level), and decomposers (last trophic level) are used to categorise the organisms that make up food webs. Only 10% of energy moves from one trophic level to the following one up. After four or five trophic levels, very little useful energy is left because to the enormous energy loss at each stage. Therefore, each food chain only contains 4 to 5 trophic levels.