In this episode, we will discuss the reasons for energy wastage.
Biomass transfer between trophic levels is not fully efficient due to several factors that limit the energy available for growth.
A significant portion of ingested food cannot be digested, and is instead eliminated as waste. Energy is expended during respiration for movement and maintaining body temperature, reducing the energy available for growth and biomass accumulation.
Furthermore, metabolic waste products like carbon dioxide, water, and urea are excreted.
These processes contribute to an inevitable loss of energy at each level, thus explaining why only a fraction of energy is converted into biomass.
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