Final answer:
To calculate the energy or biomass consumed by the next higher trophic level, you would use the trophic level transfer efficiency (TLTE) formula. The TLTE reflects the percentage of energy or biomass that carries over from one trophic level to the next, taking into account the energy lost through metabolism and as heat in the process.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you wanted to calculate the percentage of energy or biomass in a trophic level that is consumed by the next higher trophic level, you would use the trophic level transfer efficiency (TLTE) formula, which is:
TLTE = (production at present trophic level × 100) / production at the previous trophic level.
This calculation considers the energy transferred from one trophic level to the next after accounting for the energy lost through metabolic processes and as heat. It's also important to note that because of energy loss, typically only about 10% of energy is passed from one level to the next, which could limit the number of trophic levels in an ecosystem.