How to use the ecological efficiency calculator
Find energy at each trophic level. Enter producer energy, transfer efficiency in the fields above; the primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers are computed instantly and plotted on the chart so you can see how the answer changes.
Formula
Variables
- E0 — Producer energy (kJ)
- eff — Transfer efficiency (%)
Worked example
With producer energy = 10000 kJ, transfer efficiency = 10 %, the calculator gives primary consumers ≈ 1,000 kJ; secondary consumers ≈ 100 kJ; tertiary consumers ≈ 10 kJ.
Frequently asked questions
What is the formula for the ecological efficiency calculation?
Primary consumers (kJ) = E0 × eff / 100. Secondary consumers (kJ) = [Primary consumers] × eff / 100. Tertiary consumers (kJ) = [Secondary consumers] × eff / 100. Here E0 is producer energy (kJ), eff is transfer efficiency (%).
What inputs do I need for the ecological efficiency (10% rule) calculator?
You need producer energy in kJ, transfer efficiency in %. Each field is pre-filled with a typical example so you can see how the result responds as you edit the numbers.
How do I use this calculator?
Type values into the input fields. Results and the chart update instantly. Use Reset to restore the example values, Copy results to paste them elsewhere, or Share to copy a link that preserves your inputs.
Is the result exact?
Calculations use standard formulas and double-precision arithmetic, then display about seven significant figures. Real-world measurements carry uncertainty, so treat results as estimates unless your inputs are exact.