Question

Explain the 'ten percent law' for the flow, of energy, through a food chain.
Why do we say that the flow of energy through the food chains is unidirectional ?

Answer 1

Answer:

According to the ten percent law only 10% of the total energy in a trophic level is transferred to another trophic level in a food chain.

Ex : Plants ---->  1000 J

      Herbivores -----> $\frac{10}{100}$ × 1000 = 100 J

      Carnivores ------> $\frac{10}{100}$ × 100 = 10 J

The flow of energy is called as unidirectional because energy transfer is always in one and only one direction i.e from producers to consumers.