7.4.3 Transfer of Biomass

Reasons for Biomass Loss during Transfer:

• Incomplete Consumption:
  • Carnivores often cannot consume parts like bones, hooves, and claws, so not all biomass is transferred.
• Respiration:
  • A significant portion of glucose consumed is used in respiration to release energy, producing carbon dioxide as a waste product rather than biomass.
• Excretion:
  • Urea: A waste product formed from excess proteins, excreted in urine.
  • Faeces: Herbivores, in particular, cannot digest all the plant material they eat, so undigested material is excreted as faeces.

Efficiency of Biomass Transfers

• Formula: Efficiency of biomass transfer can be calculated using:

$$\text{Efficiency} = \left( \frac{\text{Biomass transferred to the next level}}{\text{Biomass available at the previous level}} \right) \times 100$$

• Population Impact: Because only a small percentage of biomass is transferred to each successive trophic level, there are typically fewer organisms at higher trophic levels.