As you go up the energy pyramid __% of the energy is loss at each level and only __% remainds. In what form is this energy lost as? ___
First blank 10%
To find out the percentage of energy lost at each level of the energy pyramid, we need to understand the concept of ecological efficiency. Ecological efficiency refers to the proportion of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next.
In general, the ecological efficiency between trophic levels is around 10%. This means that approximately 10% of the energy available at one level is transferred to the next level, while the remaining 90% is lost.
Therefore, the answer to the first blank is 10%.
Now, to answer the second blank, which asks what form this lost energy takes, it is primarily lost as heat. When organisms at one trophic level consume energy in the form of food, they use some of that energy for their own metabolism, growth, and reproduction. However, much of the energy is converted into heat during these processes. This heat is eventually dissipated into the environment, contributing to the overall energy loss.
Hence, the energy lost is primarily in the form of heat.