List the reasons why a food chain cannot exceed four links.?

Question

please and tnx.

Answer 1

The most important reason is the transfer of food from one link to other. The food or energy is converted into another form and some is lost in the form of heat energy. Hence, there is always less food or energy for animals in higher levelas or when the level increases. That's why big animals are in less number than small animals or producers. But sometimes there could be more than four links. Eg., Plants--Earthworm--Ant--Spider--Robin--O... Which is not the ideal case.

Answer 2

It has to do with how energy is passed along to the next link in the chain.  Here is a link to a site that explains it all.

http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm

Answer 3

I'm just going to guess on this.  I'm no expert, but I'll tell you my off-the-cuff hunches.  (And I'm assuming that you are talking here about all the links being animals.  Because otherwise, it isn't a food chain, it's a food circle, and its infinite.

a) After four links, animals start to get too large for other animals to kill with any regularity.

b) Contaminants begin to build up with each link, and contaminants that can not be excretely get concentrated.   Heavy metals or toxins build up with each link, until they get too concentrated.

c) The hunting area gets larger and larger with each link, until the ranges get so large that the animals can't find each other to mate.   Something that only ate lions, for example, would need so many lions to eat that huge areas could only support one of them.  Not two - forget about two plus a bunch of offspring.

Okay.  That's all I can think of.  

Good luck.

Answer 4

I guess id have to know what types of food that you'll be making this chain out of.. Surely you'd get more links if you used something like say... Pasta!!   hee hee!sorry, couldn't help myself.. but i hope I've lightened up your day a little...