Transfers of biomass between trophic levels

All food chains start with a producer that makes the biomass that is transferred to consumers in higher trophic levels. Not all biomass from a trophic level is passed to the next one (due to respiration, uneaten parts, egestion, excretion). Pyramids of biomass are scaled diagrams that can be used to show the amount of biomass present at each trophic level. % efficiency of biomass transfer = (biomass in higher trophic level ÷ biomass in lower trophic level) × 100 How efficiency of biomass transfer affects the number of organisms in higher trophic levels.