The concept you're referring to is known as the "10% Rule" in ecology, which describes the efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels in an ecosystem. When energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next—such as from producers (plants) to primary consumers (herbivores) and then to secondary consumers (carnivores)—only about 10% of the energy is passed on to the next level. The remaining 90% of energy is lost, primarily through metabolic processes (like respiration, digestion, and reproduction) and as heat.
For example, if a plant captures 1000 calories of energy through photosynthesis, approximately 100 calories might be available to the herbivore that eats it, and then around 10 calories would be available to a carnivore that eats the herbivore. This concept helps explain the pyramid structure of ecosystems, where energy—and consequently, biomass—tends to decrease as you move up the trophic levels.
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