As a rough rule of thumb, about ________ of the energy consumed as food at a given food chain level is converted to new biomass, and the remaining is respired and dissipated as heat.
A) 10 percent
B) 20 percent
C) 30 percent
D) 40 percent
E) 50 percent

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is known as the 10% rule and is a general estimate of energy transfer between trophic levels in a food chain. Only around 10% of the energy from one trophic level is passed on to the next level, while the majority is lost as heat through respiration and other processes.

As a Rough Rule of Thumb, About ________ of the Energy