16. Much of the energy available in the trophic levels is lost as

Metabolic heat! In ecological systems, when energy flows from one trophic level to the next, a significant portion is transformed into heat through metabolic processes like respiration. This energy loss is usually around 90%, which means only about 10% is available for the next level, making energy efficiency a fascinating aspect of food webs! Moreover, this energy loss has implications for ecosystem productivity. Because of this energy pyramid shape, higher trophic levels—like carnivores—need a larger land area or biomass of producers to sustain themselves. This is why we often see densely populated herbivore communities, as they serve as the primary energy source for the predators up the chain!