What is one way energy is lost when moving between trophic levels?

Energy loss when moving between trophic levels primarily occurs through respiration. Organisms at each trophic level use energy obtained from food to carry out various life processes, including cellular respiration. During respiration, energy stored in food is converted into usable forms, such as ATP, for the organism’s metabolic activities. However, this process is not 100% efficient; a significant portion of energy is lost as heat to the environment, decreasing the total energy available to the next trophic level.

In contrast, growth, reproduction, and movement also utilize energy, but they do not represent the primary mechanism of energy loss that occurs specifically during the transfer of energy between trophic levels. While these processes do require energy, they are part of how organisms allocate the energy they acquire rather than how energy is lost in transit through the food chain.