Why is there less energy at the top of the energy pyramid?

Answer 1

Energy decreases because only 10% of the energy stored at each trophic level is available to the next trophic level.

Answer 2

Only the energy stored as biomass (stuff that the next organism up eats and successfully absorbs) makes it up to the next layer of the pyramid. The rest i lost because the animal doing the eating doesn't absorb all of the energy in the food, the animal moves around expending energy, some (quite a lot actually) is lost as heat in warm-blooded animals, etc. In fact very little of the energy absorbed by one layer of the pyramid through eating makes it up to the next layer.

Answer 3

There is less energy at the top of the energy pyramid because energy is lost at each trophic level due to metabolic processes like respiration and heat loss. As energy moves up the pyramid from lower trophic levels to higher trophic levels, only about 10% is transferred, leading to a decrease in available energy at the top.

Answer 4

The amount of energy decreases the higher up the pyramid goes because going up, it's getting unhealthier.

Answer 5

Because animals constantly use energy to perform body functions (like moving around, digesting food, keep their body running, etc.) as you move up the food chain some energy is lost.

Answer 6

Because each level of the pyramid uses energy to live.

Answer 7

there are less animals