In an ecological energy pyramid, energy decreases as it moves from producers to primary consumers, then to secondary consumers, and finally to tertiary consumers. Generally, only about 10% of the energy is transferred to the next trophic level due to energy loss at each stage (through metabolic processes, heat, and waste).
By the time energy reaches tertiary consumers, the amount remaining is significantly reduced.
If we start with 100% of the energy produced by producers:
- From producers to primary consumers: 10% remains.
- From primary consumers to secondary consumers: 1% remains.
- From secondary consumers to tertiary consumers: 0.1% remains.
Therefore, the percentage of energy left by the time it reaches tertiary consumers is 0.1%.