Question

The diagram shows that a cottontail rabbit gained 400 KJ of energy when it consumed a plant. The cottontail rabbit was later eaten by a barn owl, but the owl only gained 50 KJ of energy from consuming the rabbit. Which statement best explains why only 50 KJ of energy was passed on to the barn owl?

Answer 1

Answer: The total energy passed from one level to the next is only about one-tenth of the energy received from the previous organism. This means that an animal eating a plant will only get about ten percent of the energy that is stored in the plant

Explanation: it may be lost as faeces, thermal energy or may not be digested properly to get the derived energy