Question

Based on a 10% law of energy transfer, identify values for A, B, and C in the figure given below.

	A	B	C
A	10	0.1	0.01
B	100	10	1
C	100	10	0.1
D	1000	100	10

• A. A
• B. B
• C. C
• D. D

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

The 10% law was proposed by Lindemann in 1942. The transfer of energy from one trophic level to another trophic level is accompanied by loss of energy at each level or step. When the plants are eaten by the herbivore, approximately 10% of energy in the food is fixed into animal flesh, whereas 90% is consumed in ingestion, respiration, maintenance of body heat and other activities. Similarly, when a carnivore consumes that herbivore, again approimately 10% of energy is fixed. Therefore, at each transfer, only 10% of the total energy is actually available to the next trophic level. It is called 10% law.