Question

Why is there always a loss of chemical energy with each step in a food chain?

Answer 1

There is always a loss of chemical energy at each step in a food chain because organisms use a part of the energy for their metabolic activities, and some energy is lost as heat to the environment. Due to these energy transformations, only about 10% of the energy is transferred to the next trophic level, while the rest is lost, making energy transfer inefficient at each step. Thus, energy decreases as we move up the food chain.