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It's a Biology question, and it means that only 10% of the energy in the trophic level before it is gained by the current consumer, the rest is lost as heat and various other by-products.

Example:

Food Chain: Sun -> Grass -> Antelope -> Lion

In this example, the grass absorbs the energy of the sun and starts the 'energy chain'. When the antelope eats the grass, it will only receive 10% of the ORIGINAL energy from the sun, the rest is given off as heat and such to the environment. When the lion eats the antelope, it will only receive 10% of the energy that the antelope received from the grass, which would then be only 1% of the ORIGINAL energy from the sun.

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12y ago

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Q: Why is energy lost in the 10 percent rule?
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