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Clarify why energy transfer between trophic levels is often inefficient.

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Cambridge IGCSE BiologyOrganisms and their environmentSupplement content

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Clarify why energy transfer between trophic levels is often inefficient

This point belongs to Food chains and food webs, especially Food chains and food webs outcomes.
You need to be able to clarify why energy transfer between trophic levels is often inefficient.
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Paper 4 structured question: Food chains and food webs

Paper 4Theory (Extended)4 marks

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Energy Transfer in Food Chains

In a food chain, energy is passed from producers to herbivores and then to carnivores. However, only a small fraction of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.

a
Explain why energy transfer between trophic levels is often inefficient.
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Explain that a food chain illustrates how energy is transferred from one organism to another, starting with a producer.
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Create and analyze basic food chains.
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Define a producer as an organism that generates its own organic nutrients, typically using sunlight through photosynthesis.
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Define a consumer as an organism that obtains energy by consuming other organisms.
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