With respect to an Ecosystem and its trophic levels which of the following statements is are correct...........

Environment and Ecology Concept of Ecosystems

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With respect to an Ecosystem and its trophic levels, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. The energy always flows from higher to lower trophic levels.

2. There is always a high chance of having larger number of trophic levels for better movement of nutrients.

3. Food webs are more stable than a food chain in an ecosystem.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1 and 3 only

2 and 3 only

3 only

1, 2 and 3

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Explanation:

Trophic Levels

! A trophic level is the group of organisms within an ecosystem which occupy the same level in a food chain. There are five main trophic levels within a food chain, each of which differs in its nutritional relationship with the primary energy source. The primary energy source in any ecosystem is the Sun (although there are exceptions in deep sea ecosystems).

! Statement 1 is incorrect: Energy in an ecosystem flows unidirectional i.e. from producer level to consumer level. Therefore the pyramid of energy is always upright. The amount of energy at each trophic level decreases as it moves through an ecosystem. As little as 10 percent of the energy at any trophic level is transferred to the next level; the rest is lost largely through metabolic processes as heat.

! Statement 2 is incorrect: In an ecosystem there is always a very low chance of having more than six trophic levels as hardly any energy is left to support the number of organism.

! Statement 3 is correct: Food chain traces only one pathway of the food for organisms. If it breaks in any part the entire chain will be affected. But in case of food web there are many interlinked food chains. If any chain fails there will be continuity with other chains. Therefore food webs are more stable than the food chains. For example, grasses may serve food for rabbit or grasshopper or goat or cow.