BRAINCAKEEfficiency of Energy Transfer
Only a small proportion of the energy at one trophic level is transferred to the biomass of the next. Between consumer levels the efficiency is often around 10%, although it varies widely.
Energy is lost at each transfer because:
• not all of the organism is eaten: roots, bones or woody stems may be left, and some organisms die without being eaten (this energy passes to decomposers);
• not all of what is eaten is digested: indigestible material, such as cellulose, is lost in faeces;
• energy is lost in excretion, for example in urea in urine;
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Key terms in this lesson
- ectotherm
- An organism that relies mainly on external sources of heat to regulate its body temperature.
- endotherm
- An organism that can generate and retain heat metabolically to maintain a fairly constant core body temperature.
- excretion
- The removal from the body of the waste products of metabolism, such as carbon dioxide, bile pigments and urea.
More in Energy and Ecosystems
- Gross Primary Production
- Net Primary Production
- NPP = GPP - R
- Net Production of Consumers
- Calculating Percentage Efficiency
- Farming Practices and Productivity
- Reducing Respiratory Losses in Livestock
- Simplifying Food Webs to Reduce Energy Loss
All 14 lessons in Energy and Ecosystems · All AQA A-level Biology topics