In a hypothetical land ecosystem, plants (the primary producers) capture 1000 kilocalories of sunlight energy per square meter per year. Approximately how many kilocalories of the plant's energy will be harvested by the third trophic level?
A) 1
B) 10
C) 100
D) 1,000
E) 2,000

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a typical ecosystem, only about 10% of the energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next. Starting with 1000 kilocalories at the first trophic level (plants), the second trophic level (herbivores) would receive about 100 kilocalories, and the third trophic level (carnivores) would receive about 10 kilocalories.

In a Hypothetical Land Ecosystem, Plants (The Primary Producers) Capture