Why are food chains limited to 4 5 tropic levels? - ProProfs Discuss
Advertisement

Why are food chains limited to 4-5 tropic levels?

Why are food chains limited to 4-5 tropic levels?<br/>

Change Image    Delete

Asked by Videosbym, Last updated: Nov 01, 2024

+ Answer
Request
Question menu
Vote up Vote down 1

10 Answers

Jori

Jori

Have keen interest in writing, traveler by heart.

Jori
Jori , Writer, M.A, Zürich

Answered Nov 03, 2020

The correct answer to this question is Energy loss. In the food chain, there is a limited amount of energy available. The amount of energy that is present depends on the levels of each food chain. Energy is an important aspect of the food chain because it is required for organisms to perform their tasks, especially the tasks that may be more complicated. Energy loss throughout the food chain is also attributed to different processes, including processes of life and processing material that may be waste material. MRS GREN is an acronym of the food chain that represents each level of energy loss.
upvote downvote
Reply 

L. Agate

L. Agate

L. Agate
L. Agate

Answered Sep 25, 2020

There are some people who are a bit confused as to how energy is lost in the food chain and why energy is lost in the first place. You should remember that energy is being used by the different organisms so that different complex tasks can be done.

For instance, there are times when energy would need to be transformed into heat in order to burn some of the nutrients and use them further for energy.

The food chain will usually go through different energy transfers before all of the energy becomes used up. The more energy that is available, the better it will be for the process of the food chain.

upvote downvote
Reply 

Charlie Rogers

Charlie Rogers

Management is the key to success

Charlie Rogers
Charlie Rogers, Manager, Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS), Lexington, Kentucky

Answered Sep 21, 2020

At each trophic level, a large amount of energy is being utilized to maintain the organism and lost as heat.

• The energy keeps on lessening at each trophic level, and only ten percent of the energy is being passed to the next level.

• The lengthier the food chain, the less energy is available to the final member of the food chain.

• The less energy that can be provided to an organism, the less food they get, which makes the amount they do get so small that it is insufficient to prolong the life of that organism.

• Food chains typically only contain four or five steps to ensure the sustainability of life for all organisms.

upvote downvote
Reply 

Cesar H. Pablo

Cesar H. Pablo

Cesar H. Pablo
Cesar H. Pablo, Journalist

Answered Sep 18, 2020

Energy loss is the correct answer to this question. With the progression of each level, organisms on the scale will lose energy that would have been gained from previous tropics. The process of life and material that is wasted is what causes energy loss. In total, there are seven of them.

To remember them, the acronym MRS GREN can be remembered. Each letter represents a part of the energy loss.

M is for movement, R stands for respiration, S is for sensitivity, G stands for growth, R is for reproduction, E stands for excretion, and N is for nutrition. All of these are why energy is lost through the food chain.

upvote downvote
Reply 

C. Perez

C. Perez

Just getting better day by day

C. Perez
C. Perez, Writer, Writer, Cleveland

Answered Sep 18, 2020

The food chain is known to be limited by the amount of energy that is available. It will depend on the different levels that are available. Energy is important in the food chain because organisms would need the energy to carry out some of the tasks that are complicated.

For example, in one stage of the food chain, there is a need to convert chemical energy into heat so that it will be able to digest the food that has been consumed. Take note that the energy that will be used will not remain within the ecosystem. Take note that a food chain will usually go through just six energy transfers before all of the energy is consumed.

upvote downvote
Reply 

E. Dixon

E. Dixon

E. Dixon
E. Dixon

Answered Mar 18, 2020

There are some people who would like to understand the different trophic systems because they do not understand why the food chain is only limited to 5 trophic levels. It should be remembered that for each trophic level, there is a certain amount of energy that is being consumed. There are two laws that are being followed for this. The first law is that energy cannot be created or destroyed, which means that it will just be passed on to the next level. There are times when the level of energy will tremendously change. The second law is that there may be a loss of energy whenever heat is released, which normally occurs when the energy is transferred between trophic levels.
upvote downvote
Reply 

E. James

E. James

E. James
E. James

Answered Mar 12, 2020

The food chain is only limited to 5 trophic levels because there is so much energy that gets lost during each available process that occurs. Take note that for every trophic that you go through, the level of energy depletes probably because of the things that may get lost. In order to remember the things that may get lost, MRS GREN should be remembered.

MRS GREN stands for Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity then Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, and Nutrition. There is so much energy that will get lost from the producer going to the next levels that are available. Even digestion can cause some of the energy to get lost.

upvote downvote
Reply 

Matz Lewis Clark

Matz Lewis Clark

Traveler and writer by profession.

Matz Lewis Clark
Matz Lewis Clark, College student, Graduation, Orlando

Answered Jul 18, 2019

The correct answer to this question is energy loss. As each level is progressed through, the organism on the scale will lose any energy that may have been gained from the previous trophic. Wasted material and life processes are the cause of energy loss. There are seven of them, and MRS GREN is how one can remember them.

M stands for movement, R, for respiration, S for sensitivity, G for growth, R for reproduction, E for excretion, and N for nutrition. All of these are reasons why, throughout the food chain, energy is wasted away and lost. If there were more than four, energy from all the tropics would be lost, and there would be no point to the food chain.

upvote downvote
Reply 

J. Harty

J. Harty

Have keen interest in writing, traveller by heart.

J. Harty
J. Harty, Writer, M.A, Chula Vista

Answered Feb 26, 2019

Food chains are limited to 4-5 trophic levels because energy losses between trophic levels restrict the length of food chains and the biomass of higher trophic levels. The energy added to the biomass by each successive trophic level is less than the one before, and is therefore reduced further in each successive trophic level.

Most of the energy in food that is digested and absorbed by organisms in a trophic level is later released in respiration for use in cell activities; It is therefore lost as heat. The organisms in a trophic level are not usually entirely consumed by organisms in the next trophic level.

upvote downvote
Reply 

videosbym3

videosbym

videosbym3
Videosbym

Answered Nov 19, 2017

Energy losses between trophic levels restrict the length of food chains and the biomass of higher trophic levels, energy losses, restrict the length of food chains, restrict length food chains, restrict biomass of higher trophic levels, biomass of trophic levels, 10%, ten percent, 10 percent, The energy added to biomass by each successive trophic level is less, energy added is less, successive trophic level, Most of the energy in food that is digested and absorbed by organisms in a trophic level is released by them in repsiration for use in cell activities, organisms absorb energy, organisms digest energy, cell respiration, use in cell activities, heat loss, lost as heat, It is therefore lost as heat, The organisms in a trophic level are not usually entirely consumed by organisms in the next trophic level, organisms not consumed, not entirely consumed, next trophic level

*##**##*

upvote downvote
Reply 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Search for Google images Google Image Icon
Select a recommended image
Upload from your computer Loader
Image Preview
Search for Google images Google Image Icon
Select a recommended image
Upload from your computer Loader
Image Preview
Search for Google images Google Image Icon
Select a recommended image
Upload from your computer Loader

Email Sent
We have sent an email to your address "" with instructions to reset your password.