Why is the pyramid of energy always upright?

Energy is lost as heat at each trophic level

The correct answer is b) Energy is lost as heat at each trophic level.

The pyramid of energy is always upright because energy is lost as heat at each trophic level within an ecosystem. This loss of energy occurs due to metabolic processes, such as respiration and cellular activities, taking place in organisms as they convert and utilize energy for their own growth, maintenance, and life functions.

As energy flows through the food chain from one trophic level to the next, some energy is always lost as heat during these metabolic processes. This energy loss limits the transfer of energy to higher trophic levels. Consequently, less energy is available for consumption and assimilation by organisms at higher trophic levels compared to those at lower trophic levels.

This loss of energy as heat reduces the total amount of energy available for consumption and limits the energy transfer efficiency between trophic levels.

Therefore, the pyramid of energy remains upright, with each bar representing the amount of energy available at each trophic level in a given time or annually per unit area. The energy flow is unidirectional, primarily from lower trophic levels to higher trophic levels, and is always associated with energy losses at each step in the food chain.