biomass transfer

• biomass is lost between each trophic level.
• energy from the sun is the source of energy for nearly all life
• of the energy that hits the producers, only about 1% is transferred for photosynthesis
• biomass stores energy
• biomass is transferred through a food chain in an ecosystem when organisms eat each other
• only about 10% of biomass is transferred to the next level
• biomass is lost between levels because organisms don't always eat all parts that they are consuming, organisms do not absorb all the stuff they ingest and some biomass is converted into other substances that are lost in waste
• to calculate the efficiency of biomass transfer use

  efficiency = biomass transferred to the next level/ biomass available at the previous level x100
• the longer the food chain the more biomass that is lost. this is why we prefer shorter food chains.
• animals are kept in small and warm pens to reduce the amount of energy used and biomass transferred. high protein can be fed for strength for better meat , eggs and milk