In an energy pyramid, which statement is true?

• A. Producers capture solar energy and support all higher trophic levels with energy.
• B. Energy increases at higher trophic levels.
• C. Decomposers store most of the energy.
• D. A diagram showing energy transfer between trophic levels.

Answer: (A)

Energy flows from the sun into producers, which capture that energy through photosynthesis and store it as chemical energy in sugars. That stored energy becomes the source for all higher trophic levels, from herbivores to carnivores. With each transfer, organisms use energy for growth, movement, and life processes, and much is released as heat, so only a portion moves up to the next level. Decomposers recycle nutrients by breaking down dead matter, but they don’t store most energy themselves. A diagram that shows energy transfer between trophic levels is useful for understanding these flows, not a statement about energy being stored by decomposers. So the true idea is that producers capture solar energy and support all higher trophic levels.