The 10% Trophic Energy Transfer Rule Explained (Biology)

If primary producers in an ecosystem capture 40,000 Joules of net solar energy, approximately how many Joules of energy will be assimilated by tertiary consumers? Enter numeric value.

Direct Answer: The 10% Trophic Energy Transfer Rule is defined by: 40. Energy transfer is ~10% per trophic level: Producers (40,000 J) → Primary Consumers (4,000 J) → Secondary Consumers (400 J) → Tertiary Consumers (40 J).

Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:

Energy transfer is ~10% per trophic level: Producers (40,000 J) → Primary Consumers (4,000 J) → Secondary Consumers (400 J) → Tertiary Consumers (40 J).