Calculating Efficency of Energy Transfers between Trophic Levels

Energy is transferred through ecosystems in stages known as trophic levels. The first trophic level is occupied by producers (plants), followed by primary consumers (herbivores), then secondary consumers (carnivores), and so on.
Not all the energy available at one trophic level is transferred to the next. Some energy is used up by the organisms at that level for their own processes, such as growth, repair, reproduction, and respiratory processes.
Energy transfer is inefficient because energy is used up and ‘lost’ as heat during these processes. In general, it’s estimated that only about 10% of the energy at any given trophic level is passed on to the next.
To calculate Energy Efficiency, use the formula:

Efficiency = (Energy available after the transfer / Energy available before the transfer) x 100
The value you calculate will be a percentage. The higher the percentage, the more efficient the energy transfer.
As an example: If there were 1000 joules of energy at the level of the producers, and only 100 joules of that energy was passed on to the primary consumers, the calculation would be:

Efficiency = (100/1000) x 100 = 10%
This shows us that the energy transfer at that level was 10% efficient.
Understanding energy efficiency at different trophic levels helps us partly understand why there are fewer organisms as you move up the food chain or web. The decrease in available energy limits the size of the populations at higher trophic levels.
Awareness of energy transfer efficiency is also important in understanding and managing both natural ecosystems and human-made systems such as agriculture. Efficient use of energy resources is crucial for sustainable living.
It’s also crucial to remember that human activities can impact the efficiency of energy transfer in ecosystems. Practices like overfishing or deforestation can disrupt the balance of energy flow, leading to the collapse of certain trophic levels.
Being conscious of these impacts is the first step toward mitigating them and striving to live sustainably on our planet.

Remember to use this understanding in conjunction with other aspects of ecosystems, such as adaptations and nutrient cycles.