Work out food chain energy transfer instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Compounds the trophic transfer efficiency across levels, the reason food chains rarely exceed four or five links.
Trophic transfer
Energy at level n = producer energy x efficiency^n; the classic ten percent rule gives 0.1% after three transfers
Most assimilated energy is lost as respiratory heat, with more lost as unconsumed or undigested material.
Available energy falls by an order of magnitude per level, so higher levels cannot support viable populations.