The respiratory losses of producers, herbivores and carnivores are, respectively,

Options

A. `10%, 20%, 30%`
B. `20%, 30%, 60%`
C. `20%, 40%, 80%`
D. Always `10%`

Answer

To solve the question regarding the respiratory losses of producers, herbivores, and carnivores, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Concept of Respiratory Losses**:
- Respiratory losses refer to the energy used by organisms for respiration, which is the process of breaking down glucose to release energy for life processes.

2. **Identify the Trophic Levels**:
- Producers (like plants) are at the first trophic level.
- Herbivores (like rabbits) are at the second trophic level, as they consume producers.
- Carnivores (like foxes) are at the third trophic level, as they consume herbivores.

3. **Determine the Respiratory Losses for Each Trophic Level**:
- For **Producers**: It is known that producers use about 20% of the energy they produce for respiration. Therefore, the respiratory loss for producers is **20%**.
- For **Herbivores**: Herbivores utilize a greater percentage of energy for respiration, which is approximately 30%. Thus, the respiratory loss for herbivores is **30%**.
- For **Carnivores**: Carnivores have the highest respiratory losses, using around 60% of their energy for respiration. Therefore, the respiratory loss for carnivores is **60%**.

4. **Compile the Results**:
- Now, we can summarize the respiratory losses:
- Producers: 20%
- Herbivores: 30%
- Carnivores: 60%

5. **Final Answer**:
- The respiratory losses of producers, herbivores, and carnivores are respectively **20%, 30%, and 60%**.