Question

a bird watches a mouse that eats seeds and a snake that eats the mouse. using the laws of thermodynamics, which of the following best explains why the snake needs to consume more biomass than the mouse to get the same amount of energy?
a. a significant amount of energy is created by the mouse during digestion.
b. energy is transferred with 100% efficiency between trophic levels.
c. most energy is lost as heat between the mouse and the snakes trophic levels.
d. the snakes larger size requires less total energy than the mouse.

Explanation:

According to the laws of thermodynamics, especially the second - law related to energy transfer in ecosystems, energy transfer between trophic levels is not 100% efficient. Most energy is lost as heat during the transfer from one trophic level to the next. A mouse is at a lower trophic level and a snake is at a higher one. When the snake consumes the mouse, a large amount of the mouse's energy is dissipated as heat, so the snake needs to consume more biomass (more mice) to get the same amount of energy. Option A is incorrect because energy cannot be created during digestion according to the law of conservation of energy. Option B is incorrect as energy transfer between trophic levels is far from 100% efficient. Option D is incorrect because a larger - sized snake generally requires more total energy than a mouse.

Answer:

C. Most energy is lost as heat between the mouse and the snake's trophic levels.