BRAINCAKEEfficiency of Energy Transfer
To compare how well energy passes along a food chain, we calculate the efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels.
efficiency (%) = (energy transferred to the next level ÷ energy available at the previous level) × 100
Energy values should be in the same units, usually kJ m−2 year−1. Between consumer levels, efficiency is typically about 10%, though it varies from about 1% to 20%.
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Key terms in this lesson
- sankey diagram
- A diagram showing energy transfers between trophic levels, in which the width of each arrow is proportional to the energy flow.
More in The Efficiency of Ecosystems
- Pyramid of Biomass
- Inverted Pyramids of Numbers
- Energy Losses in Producers
- Energy Losses between Consumers
- Gross Primary Productivity
- Net Primary Productivity
- The Limitations of Efficiency Calculations
- Energy Transfer and Food Chain Length
All 20 lessons in The Efficiency of Ecosystems · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics