In the food chain shown below, which type of organism would have the lowest biomass and why?
A) Grass; all organisms depend on it, and it does not have time to build up biomass.
B) Grasshopper; it is much smaller than organisms at other levels.
C) Hawk; energy is lost at each level, thus the highest level supports the smallest biomass.
D) Either hawk or snake; both are at high levels and both would lose energy.
E) Either grasshopper or frog; both are small organisms and therefore have small biomass.

Question

In the food chain shown below, which type of organism would have the lowest biomass and why? 
A) Grass; all organisms depend on it, and it does not have time to build up biomass. 
B) Grasshopper; it is much smaller than organisms at other levels. 
C) Hawk; energy is lost at each level, thus the highest level supports the smallest biomass. 
D) Either hawk or snake; both are at high levels and both would lose energy. 
E) Either grasshopper or frog; both are small organisms and therefore have small biomass.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the 10% rule, energy available decreases by 90% at each trophic level. Thus, organisms at higher trophic levels have smaller biomasses. Therefore, the hawk, which is at the highest trophic level in the given food chain, would have the lowest biomass.

In the Food Chain Shown Below, Which Type of Organism