Question

If only 10% of the energy in one trophic level is passed on to the next level, then where does the remaining 90% go?

A. The energy is used by organisms for various life processes.
B. The energy is lost as heat.
C. Both a and b are correct.​

Answer 1

Around 90% of energy is either utilized by organisms for life processes or lost as heat, which explains why typically only about 10% of energy is passed on to the next trophic level.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of energy transfer within food chains and webs, only about 10% of the energy at one trophic level is available to the next level. This concept is part of the study of ecological pyramids and energy flow in ecosystems. The remaining 90% of energy is used by organisms for metabolic processes and is also lost as heat to the environment due to the second law of thermodynamics, which dictates an increase in entropy whenever energy is transformed. This explains why there are usually no more than four trophic levels - there isn't enough energy left after these losses to support additional levels.