The correct answer is Option (2) – An organism may occupy more than one trophic level simultaneously.
An organism can definitely hold multiple positions in a food chain at the same time, occupying more than one trophic level. This happens because we categorize organisms based on their primary food source in a specific ecosystem.
- Trophic level represents a species: This is incorrect. A trophic level represents a group of organisms that share the same function in the food chain, not just a single species. For example, primary consumers are a trophic level, but they include many species.
- An organism may occupy more than one trophic level simultaneously: This is correct. Some organisms, like omnivores, can feed at multiple trophic levels. For example, these creatures, like raccoons or humans, can eat both plants and animals. Depending on what they're munching on at a particular time, they'll switch between being primary consumers (eating plants) and secondary consumers (eating animals). So, an organism can definitely hold multiple positions in a food chain at the same time, occupying more than one trophic level.
- Pyramid of energy is never upright: This is incorrect. The pyramid of energy is always upright because energy decreases as it moves up trophic levels due to energy losses (mainly as heat) at each level.
- The base of each pyramid is always broad: This is incorrect for some pyramids. While the base of the pyramid of energy is always broad, the pyramid of numbers and the pyramid of biomass can be inverted in certain ecosystems (e.g., in aquatic ecosystems, where small phytoplankton can support a large number of herbivores).
Thus, the statement "An organism may occupy more than one trophic level simultaneously" is the correct one.
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