# A farmer grows wheat and uses it to feed cattle. The farmer is considering whether to sell the wheat directly for human consumption instead of feeding it to cattle first. Explain why selling the wheat directly would allow more people to be fed from the same area of farmland.

> AQA A-Level Biology (7402) — 3.5.3 Energy and Ecosystems · Explain · 5 marks

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Energy is lost at each trophic level / when energy passes from wheat to cattle
2. Energy is used by cattle for respiration / movement / keeping warm
3. Energy is also lost in cattle's faeces / urine / indigestible material
4. Only a small percentage (approximately 10%) of energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next
5. By eating wheat directly, humans are at a lower trophic level / fewer trophic levels means less energy is lost overall, so more energy is available to support more people

## Related

- [Revision notes for AQA A-Level Biology (7402)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

---
Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-farmer-grows-wheat-and-uses-ac0c4f36) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.