Final answer:
Around 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next due to energy being used for metabolic processes and lost as heat, which is in line with the second law of thermodynamics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Why Only About 10% of Energy is Transferred Between Trophic Levels
The reason only about 10% of the energy is passed on from one trophic level to the next higher trophic level in an ecosystem is primarily due to the laws of thermodynamics, particularly the second law concerning entropy.
In every energy transfer, a significant portion of energy is used for metabolic processes like growth, repair, and maintenance or is lost as heat. This is also because all organisms require energy to carry out life processes, and not all the energy consumed is converted into biomass; some is lost as waste.
The amount of energy diminished during each transfer contributes to the fact that ecosystems generally have no more than four trophic levels, as further trophic levels would not receive adequate energy to support a viable population.