12
QuizLong Text

Aquatic Habitats

Question 12 • 5120VA Environmental Science Sem A

Summarize why the pyramid of energy can never be inverted like the pyramids of numbers and biomass can.

Answer

Answer:

An energy pyramid can never be inverted because energy decreases at every trophic level. Organisms use much of the energy they take in for life processes, and much is lost as heat, so only a small fraction passes to the next level. Producers must therefore form the broad base, with less energy available at each level above them.

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