Question
only 10 percent of the energy stored in an organism can be passed on to the next trophic level, what happens to the rest of the energy?
It is used in reproduction.
It is eliminated as heat.
It is used in decomposition.
It is stored as muscle.
It is used in reproduction.
It is eliminated as heat.
It is used in decomposition.
It is stored as muscle.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
In an ecosystem, when energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, only about 10 percent of the energy is passed on to the next level, according to the 10% rule in ecology. The rest of the energy does not disappear; instead, it is primarily:
**It is eliminated as heat.**
This energy loss occurs due to metabolic processes, such as respiration and movement, as well as through other biological activities. While some energy is indeed used in reproduction, growth, and stored as biomass (like muscle), the majority is lost as heat. Decomposition also plays a role in cycling nutrients, but it is not a primary pathway for energy transfer in this context.
**It is eliminated as heat.**
This energy loss occurs due to metabolic processes, such as respiration and movement, as well as through other biological activities. While some energy is indeed used in reproduction, growth, and stored as biomass (like muscle), the majority is lost as heat. Decomposition also plays a role in cycling nutrients, but it is not a primary pathway for energy transfer in this context.