Researchers compare two food chains in orchards. Each food chain has four trophic levels.
| Food chain | Producer biomass in kg | Biomass transferred at each step |
|---|---|---|
| R | 1200 | 8% |
| S | 1200 | 14% |
Which statement best explains why food chain S is more likely than food chain R to support a fifth trophic level?
More of the producer biomass reaches trophic level 4 in food chain S.
A larger fraction of biomass is egested at each step in food chain S.
The same mass of living material is present at every level in food chain S.
Consumers in food chain S use more biomass in respiration, so more is passed to the next level.
103 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Biology 7.4 Trophic levels in an ecosystem, covering 7.4.1 Trophic levels, 7.4.2 Pyramids of biomass, and 7.4.3 Transfer of biomass. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.