KINE EUULUVI What happens to the number of organisms at each trophic level? a. The number increases. b. The number decreases.

## Step 1<br />This problem is about understanding the concept of energy flow in an ecosystem, specifically the concept of trophic levels. Trophic levels represent the position an organism occupies in a food chain. The primary producers, such as plants, are at the first trophic level, while herbivores (plant-eaters) are at the second trophic level, and so on.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The energy flow in an ecosystem is not 100% efficient. This is due to the fact that energy is lost at each trophic level, primarily as heat. This is known as the 10% rule in ecology, which states that only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />Because of this energy loss, there is less energy available to support organisms at higher trophic levels. This means that the number of organisms that can be supported at each successive trophic level decreases.