Which of the following statements about energy and trophic levels is not true? a. the amount of available energy decreases at each higher trophic level. b. the energy conversion efficiency decreases at higher trophic levels. c. the net production of energy is higher at lower trophic levels. d. none of the above

The answer is D, none of the above. The measure of vitality at each trophic level declines as it travels through a biological system. As meager as 10 percent of the vitality at any trophic level is exchanged to the following level; the rest is lost to a great extent through metabolic procedures as warmth.

The statement which is false is D. The amount of energy available at each trophic level is indeed less, due to which the higher trophic levels are unable to sustain larger biomasses. Next, the energy conversion efficiency decreases at higher trophic level as more and more energy is lost as heat or to the surroundings and is not transferred to the next trophic level. Finally, the greatest amount of energy production is at the lowest level, the producers, because they are able to convert sunlight to energy, and this net energy production decreases at higher levels.