What factor accounts for most of the loss of energy between trophic levels?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Respiration accounts for most of the loss of energy between trophic levels. As organisms carry out cellular respiration to obtain energy, they convert some of this energy into heat, which is lost to the environment. As a result, only a fraction of the energy received by an organism from the previous trophic level is available to be passed on to the next trophic level. This loss of energy limits the number of trophic levels that can be supported in an ecosystem.

What Factor Accounts for Most of the Loss of Energy