What concept explains the increasing concentration of harmful substances at higher trophic levels?

The concept that explains the increasing concentration of harmful substances at higher trophic levels is biomagnification. This phenomenon occurs because as energy moves up the food chain, organisms at higher trophic levels consume a larger number of organisms from lower levels, leading to an accumulation of toxins that were present in those lower organisms.

For example, small fish that consume algae contaminated with pollutants take in those toxins. Larger fish that eat multiple small fish will accumulate a higher concentration of these harmful substances. As this process continues up the food chain, predators, such as birds or mammals, end up with even higher concentrations of toxins, posing significant risks to their health and reproductive success.

Understanding biomagnification is crucial in ecology as it highlights how pollutants can affect ecosystems and the health of top predators, including humans, who may also consume these contaminated organisms.