(B) Energy transfer between trophic levels is almost always less than 20% efficient.
Explanation:
The ultimate source of energy on the Earth is the Sun. The energy coming from the Sun is captured by green plants by the photosynthesis. During photosynthesis sun energy is fixed into chemical energy (carbohydrate). So, in an ecosystem energy flow is unidirectional (from sun to the green plants). The fixed chemical energy from green plants is transferred to the herbivores then to carnivores through food. When one organism eats another organisms, only 10 % of the energy present in the organism is transferred as a food for the next organism and a large amount of energy is lost as heat into the environment. Thus, energy keeps on decreasing when stored energy moves from producers to top consumers. Thus, less than 20% energy transfer limits the trophic levels in most of the ecosystem.
Although nitrogen gas makes up 78% of the atmosphere, we can't use it because nitrogen atoms must be broken apart first before. This nitrogen is very much packed and bonded with its atoms and would be useless to use since it can't be used for plants.
