Question 1: Tertiary consumers acquire energy from secondary consumers primarily through consumption. When tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers, they assimilate the energy that was transferred from primary producers (plants) to primary consumers (herbivores) and then to secondary consumers (carnivores). However, only about 10% of the energy consumed is converted into biomass and made available to the next trophic level due to metabolic processes and energy losses.
Question 2: The other 90% of energy is lost at each trophic level through various processes, including respiration, metabolism, movement, and heat production. Specifically, energy is used by organisms for essential life processes such as growth, reproduction, and maintenance of bodily functions. Additionally, energy can be lost in the form of waste that is not consumed by predators, and through inefficiencies during the conversion of food into energy.