Question

Answer the following :

1. State one reason to justify the position of man at the apex of most food chains.

2. How is being a vegetarian advantageous in terms of energy?

3. Why do harmful chemicals concentrate as we go up in the food chain? ​

Answer 1

1. The position of the man is at the apex of most of the food chain because in a food chain the top position is mostly taken by carnivorous animals and in a normal food chain herbivores are the producers, some small organisms are the second consumers and some much larger animals are the third consumers but we come at the last. Humans can consume all most all the animals, also they are the most intelligent organisms so they can change their position by manipulation.

2. In terms of energy, vegetarian food would be more advantageous because according to the 10 per cent law, only 10% energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next. ... This is how vegetarian food is more advantageous over non vegetarian food.

3. Bioaccumulants are substances that increase in concentration in living organisms as they take in contaminated air, water, or food because the substances are very slowly metabolized or excreted. ... Harmful chemical concentrate in the trophic levels of food by the process of biological concentration or bio-magnification.