The number of trophic levels in an ecosy | Class 12 Biology Chapter Ecosystem, Ecosystem NCERT Solutions

As the flow of energy in the ecosystem is limited from producer level to the next trophic level. Total incoming solar radiations trapped by the producers (green plants) and change this energy into the chemical energy in the synthesis of food. When the green plants are eaten by the herbivores with the efficiency of energy capture 1% of sunlight, a lot of energy amount is lost as heat or consumed in the metabolic reactions for their growth and the rest is used for the development or reproduction. When the primary consumers ate the herbivores 10% (10% law) of the amount of energy of herbivores is transferred to the primary consumers level and same process repeats for the next trophic level with the sharing of 10% energy from the previous level. There can be only 4-5 trophic levels. Thus when the energy is transferred at each level, less amount of usable energy is available for the last trophic level. So, as a result when we move higher in the food chain, the amount of energy get decreased 10% to another trophic level in the food chain and at last the energy get diminished to a level at which the energy cannot sustain any trophic level. Thus the trophic levels are limited.