Energy flow through the various trophic levels in the ecosystem is ________.

Correct option is C

In an ecosystem, energy flows through different trophic levels—producers (plants), primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores), and so on. As energy moves from one trophic level to the next, a significant amount is lost as heat due to metabolic processes, and only about 10% of the energy is passed on to the next level. This results in a reduction of energy with each higher trophic level.

Information Booster

• The 10% Rule of energy transfer suggests that only around 10% of the energy from one trophic level is passed on to the next level, with the rest being lost as heat.
• Producers (plants) capture energy from the sun through photosynthesis, which is then transferred to consumers (herbivores and carnivores) as food.
• The flow of energy is unidirectional: it moves from producers to consumers, and there is no reversal of energy flow at higher levels.