What is ten per cent law? Explain with an example.

Question

Philoid · Accepted Answer

According to this law, only 10% of energy entering into trophic level of energy will be available to be transferred to the next trophic level.

For example if 1000joule of sunlight energy falls on plants and is to be transferred to herbivore and then a carnivore.

The plants or first trophic level (producers) has only 10joule of energy because plants absorb only 1% of energy that they receive from sun and according to 10% law, only 10% of 10joule will be transferred from plants to the next higher trophic level (herbivores) which is 1joule. Now 10% of 1joule =0.1 Joule which will be transferred to next higher trophic level (carnivores). So carnivores will receive 0.1 joule of energy if 1000joule of sunlight energy falls on plants