Why is the Transfer of energy and matter in a food chain only

about10 percent efficient?

The quantity of energy decreases down each trophic level as only 10% of the energy at the upper level is transferred to the next level, the remaining 90% is lost as heat during metabolic process. Through the energy pyramid we can explain how energy is lost at each trophic level, the number of consumer at each trophic level that will benefit from the transfer of energy depends on the size and quality of the energy from the autotrophs