Name: energy loss in food chains
Uploaded: 2025-10-23T11:48:54.000Z
Duration: 46 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

north-carolina-k-12-science-standard-course-of-study

NC K-12 Science Standard Course of Study

9-12

Earth and Environmental Science

Earth's Systems

ESS.EES.3.4

Trophic Efficiency

- [Instructor] A medida
que la energía fluye

a través de los niveles tróficos

en un ecosistema, grandes cantidades

se pierden en forma de calor

a medida que la energía se
transforma de una forma a otra,

La segunda ley de la termodinámica.

En un ecosistema de bosques
templados, la energía para

los consumidores primarios por
productores primarios es de

6000 kilocalorías por
metro cuadrado por año.

Sin embargo, los consumidores
primarios solo pueden asimilar

aproximadamente el 10% de esa
cantidad original disponible

En el siguiente nivel trófico.

Esta medida de transferencia
de energía se llama

la eficiencia de transferencia
de nivel trófico, o TLTE,

y suele ser el factor primario
que limita la longitud

de cadenas alimentarias en un ecosistema,

porque no hay suficiente energía

para apoyar los niveles superiores.

Tucker, Marlee A. y Tracey L. Rogers. "Examinando el tamaño corporal de depredador-presa, el nivel trófico y la masa corporal en mamíferos marinos y terrestres". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 281, nº 1797 (22 de diciembre de 2014). [<a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.2103" target="__blank">Fuente</a>]

Sanders, Dirk, Andrea Moser, Jason Newton y F. J. Frank van Veen. "La eficiencia de la asimilación trófica aumenta notablemente a niveles tróficos más altos en la cadena alimentaria huésped-parasitoide de cuatro niveles". Actas de la Royal Society B: Ciencias Biológicas 283, n.º 1826 (16 de marzo de 2016). [<a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.3043" target="__blank">Fuente</a>]

eficiencia trófica

La eficiencia de transferencia de nivel trófico (TLTE) es una medida de la transferencia total de energía de un nivel trófico al siguiente. Debido a la gran pérdida de energía en forma de calor metabólico, una media de sólo el 10% de la energía original obtenida pasa al siguiente nivel. Este patrón de pérdida de energía limita severamente el posible número de niveles tróficos en una cadena alimentaria. <h4>Eficiencia de transferencia de nivel trófico</h4> Siguiendo la segunda ley de la termodinámica, se pierden grandes cantidades de energía del ecosistema y de un nivel trófico al siguiente a medida que se transfiere y transforma. En los sistemas biológicos, esta energía se pierde en forma de calor metabólico durante la respiración cuando un organismo consume al siguiente. La medición de la transferencia de energía de un nivel trófico al siguiente se conoce como eficiencia de transferencia de nivel trófico (TLTE) y es una función de la producción de energía del nivel trófico actual y del nivel anterior. Esta medición tiene amplias implicaciones con respecto a la longitud total de las cadenas alimentarias. <h4>La “regla de los 10”</h4> En general, sólo alrededor del 10% de la energía se transfiere de un nivel trófico al siguiente, y este número puede variar entre el 5 y el 20% según el ecosistema. Esto significa que el 90% de la energía obtenida se pierde en cada nivel trófico, afectando en gran medida al máximo número de niveles posibles en el ecosistema. Por ejemplo, si un ecosistema recibiera 600.000 Kcal de energía solar del sol, los productores primarios pasarían sólo 60.000 Kcal a los herbívoros, los cuales pasarían sólo 6.000 Kcal a los consumidores secundarios, 600 Kcal a los consumidores terciarios y 60 Kcal a los consumidores cuaternarios al final en la cima de la cadena alimentaria. Un superdepredador como un lobo-que necesita un promedio de 2000 Kcal por día- necesitaría consumir una cantidad muy alta de consumidores secundarios o terciarios para cumplir con su cuota de calorías por día.

Eficiencia trófica

La eficiencia de transferencia de nivel trófico (TLTE) es una medida de la transferencia total de energía de un nivel trófico al siguiente. Debido a la gran pérdida de energía ...

Education

Educación

JoVE Core

Biology

Biología

Ecology

Ecología

Ecosystems

Ecosistemas

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

TÉRMINOS Y CONCEPTOS CLAVE

energy loss in food chains

Trophic level transfer efficiency describes how much energy moves from one level of a food chain to the next. It shows why energy drops sharply as organisms eat and are eaten. In most ecosystems, only about 10% of the energy passes on.

This energy loss follows the second law of thermodynamics. In living systems, much of the energy is lost as metabolic heat during respiration. Trophic level transfer efficiency, or TLTE, measures this transfer by comparing the energy produced at one trophic level with the energy available from the previous level.

The 10% rule is a useful guide, although the transfer can range from about 5% to 20% depending on the ecosystem. That means about 90% of the energy is lost at each step. This loss limits how many trophic levels a food chain can support.

A simple energy example shows the pattern. If an ecosystem received 600,000 Kcal of solar energy, primary producers would pass only 60,000 Kcal to herbivores. Those herbivores would pass 6,000 Kcal to secondary consumers, then 600 Kcal to tertiary consumers, and 60 Kcal to quaternary consumers.

This energy shortage also affects top predators. A wolf, for example, needs about 2000 Kcal per day. To meet that need, it would have to eat a large number of secondary or tertiary consumers.

Energy Loss in Food Chains

what is an ecosystem?

Ecosystem Zones and Climate

Ecosystems are shaped by living and nonliving parts of an environment, and they can be grouped as terrestrial or aquatic. Terrestrial ecosystems depend on climate. Aquatic ecosystems are divided into freshwater and marine systems, and depth affects water temperature and how much sunlight reaches the water. Terrestrial ecosystems are called biomes. A biome is defined by climate and by the organisms that live there. Near the equator, rainforests have high, aseasonal temperatures and high annual...

trophic levels

Food Chains and Energy Flow

Food chains show how energy and nutrients move through an ecosystem. Each organism holds a trophic level, or a specific place in that chain. The lowest level includes primary producers, which make their own food using energy from the sun or from chemicals. Organisms at the next levels are heterotrophs, which get energy from other organisms below them. Primary consumers are herbivores, and they feed on autotrophs, also called primary producers. Secondary and tertiary consumers are carnivores...

primary production

GPP, NPP, and Ecosystem Energy

Gross primary production and net primary production describe how energy enters and moves through ecosystems. Primary producers, or autotrophs, make their own food. They can do this by photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, and they can also gain energy by consuming other organisms. The rate at which producers capture and store this energy is called gross primary production, or GPP. Not all of the energy in GPP stays available to the rest of the ecosystem. Primary producers use some energy for...

production efficiency

Energy Transfer as Biomass Efficiency

Net production efficiency shows how much energy organisms turn into biomass for the next trophic level. It focuses on the usable energy stored in body tissue, not the energy lost as heat or excreted wastes. This makes it a key idea for understanding energy flow through ecosystems. As energy moves from one organism to the next, only biomass can serve as food for the next trophic level. The rest of the energy is used in metabolism and is lost over time. Net production efficiency, or NPE, is the...

trophic efficiency

Trophic level transfer efficiency describes how much energy moves from one level of a food chain to the next. It shows why energy drops sharply as organisms eat and are eaten. In most ecosystems, only about 10% of the energy passes on. This energy loss follows the second law of thermodynamics. In living systems, much of the energy is lost as metabolic heat during respiration. Trophic level transfer efficiency, or TLTE, measures this transfer by comparing the energy produced at one trophic...

what are biogeochemical cycles?

Nutrient Recycling in Ecosystems

Nutrient recycling in ecosystems keeps the elements needed for life moving through living and nonliving parts of the environment. Elements such as water, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus are present in limited amounts, so they must be conserved and reused. These movements are called biogeochemical cycles. These nutrients can exist in several chemical forms. They may spend long periods in the atmosphere, on land, under the land, or in aquatic environments. Decomposition is a key part of...

the water cycle

Water Movement Through Earth Systems

Water movement through Earth systems connects the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, the land, and living things. The hydrosphere includes every place where water is stored or moves. Because water supports living processes, its movement is important for ecosystem dynamics. The cycle starts when the sun warms surface water on land and in the oceans. That water evaporates and enters the atmosphere as vapor. Water can also move into the air by sublimation, which is ice changing directly into vapor, and...

the carbon cycle

Carbon Movement in Living Systems

Carbon moves through living systems and Earth over short and long time scales. It is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and it cycles through ecosystems by passing between organisms and by moving through rocks, oceans, and the atmosphere. Human activities, including farming and burning fossil fuels, have changed this balance. In the biological carbon cycle, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reacts with water to form bicarbonate. Primary producers, or autotrophs, use carbon dioxide and...

the nitrogen cycle

Nitrogen in Soil and Living Things

Nitrogen in soil and living things moves through ecosystems in several forms. Nitrogen atoms are found in proteins and DNA. Most animals and plants cannot use nitrogen gas, which is the main form of nitrogen on Earth. Nitrogen must first be changed into a usable form by nitrogen-fixing bacteria before it can move through food webs. About 78% of the air we breathe is nitrogen gas, but few organisms can use it in that form. Nitrogen fixation changes nitrogen gas (N2) into ammonia (NH3).

the phosphorus cycle

Phosphorus Movement in Soil and Water

Phosphorus moves through ecosystems mostly as phosphate ions in soil, water, sediment, and rocks. Unlike carbon, water, and nitrogen, it is not found in the atmosphere as a gas. It is also often a limiting nutrient, which means it is in short supply in many environments. Phosphorus is important in DNA, cell membranes, bones, and teeth. It is found in minerals, sediment, volcanic ash, and aerosols. As rocks and sediment weather over time, they release inorganic phosphate. That phosphate then...

the sulfur cycle

Sulfur in Ecosystems and Acid Rain

Sulfur moves through ecosystems as part of the chemical cycle that supports life. It is an important element in proteins and in amino acids such as cysteine, which helps give proteins their structure. On land, sulfur reaches ecosystems in several ways. Weak sulfuric acid can fall with precipitation, sulfur can drop directly from the atmosphere, rocks can weather and release sulfur, and geothermal vents can add it as well. Plants and microorganisms take sulfur up from the soil and change it...

bioremediation

Bioremediation in Soil and Oil Cleanup

Bioremediation uses prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to remove pollutants from the environment. It is a practical way to reduce harmful chemicals in contaminated soil and water. In agriculture, fertilizers and pesticides can leach into groundwater, streams, and lakes. Microbes and bacteria can help break down these toxins. One example is atrazine, an environmental toxin found in many fertilizers, which can be removed from soils by the bacterial species Rhizobium and Tricoderma sp. Bioremediation...

key terms and concepts

Learn how trophic level transfer efficiency limits food chains, why only about 10% of energy moves upward, and how heat loss affects top predators.

Energy Loss in Food Chains | JoVE K12

JoVE Core series brings biology to life through over 300 concise and easy-to-understand animated video lessons that explain key concepts in biology, plus more than 150 scientist-in-action videos that show actual research experiments conducted in today’s laboratories.

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JoVE Core Biología da vida a la biología a través de una serie con más de 300 lecciones de vídeo animadas, concisas y fáciles de entender, que explican conceptos clave de la biología, incluyendo también más de 150 vídeos de científicos en acción, que muestran experimentos reales realizados en laboratorios actuales de investigación.

Pennsylvania State Academic Standards

Life Science

interdependent-relationships-in-ecosystems

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

3.1.9-12.I

matter-and-energy-in-organisms-and-ecosystems

Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems

3.1.9-12.F

3.1.9-12.H

Louisiana Student Standards for Science

High School

Life Sciences

from-molecules-to-organisms-structures-and-processes

From Molecules To Organisms: Structures And Processes

HS-LS1-7

ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy And Dynamics

HS-LS2-1

HS-LS2-4

Environmental Science

Tennessee Academic Standards

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

BIO1.LS2.4

Virginia  Standards of Learning

HIgh School

BIO.8

BIO.8.b

LS.5

LS.5.b

Physical Science

PS.5

PS.5.b

new-jersey-student-learning-standards-for-science

New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science

Arizona Science Standards

HS.L2

HS.L2U1.19

Alabama Course of Study Science

Ecosystems: Interactions Energy and Dynamics

9-12.B.2.6

9-12.EVS.1.1

Next Generation Science Standards

HS-LS2-6

Florida Department of Education

SC.912.L.17

SC.912.L.17.9

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

BIO.13

BIO.13.B

Georgia Standards of Excellence

Botany

SBO6.

All Standards

south-carolina-college-and-career-ready-science-standards

South Carolina College and Career Ready Science Standards

B-LS2-1.

B-LS2-2.

Earth and Space Science (ESS)

Earth’s Systems

E-ESS2-2.

E-ESS2-3.

SEV1.

SEV1.d

new-york-state-science-learning-standards

New York State Science Learning Standards

HS-LS2-3.

HS-LS2-4.

Oceanography

SO3.

SO3.2

SEC4.

SEC4.d

SB5.b

myJoVE Corporation

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ESS.EES.2.1

Analyze and interpret data to predict locations of volcanoes and earthquakes based on plate boundaries.

ESS.EES.2.2

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Use models to explain how plate tectonics influence topography.

ESS.EES.2.3

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The Nitrogen Cycle

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The Phosphorus Cycle

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The Sulfur Cycle

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Carry out investigations to explain how the rock cycle and rates of weathering, erosion, and soil formation influence Earth's systems.

ESS.EES.2.4

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Overview

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Variation of Atmospheric Pressure

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ESS.EES.2.5

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Carry out investigations to explain the properties of water.

ESS.EES.3.1

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Energy Loss in Food Chains

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