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Biology / Unit 14   Bio 3649 short lesson, about 20 seconds

Energy Flow and the Ten-Percent Rule

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The idea

Energy flows through trophic levels one way and degrades at each transfer, per Bio 0612, with roughly ten percent of one level's energy converting to the biomass of the level above.

In practice

An energy pyramid narrows sharply from producer to top consumer, reflecting this large loss per transfer.

Where people slip

The ten-percent figure is a rough average, not a fixed law every ecosystem obeys exactly.

Your place on the trail

Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.

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