The term for the percentage of energy transferred in a food chain is known as trophic efficiency. Typically, only about 10% of the energy at one trophic level is passed on to the next level, while the remaining energy is lost as metabolic heat, waste, or through other biological processes. This energy transfer is crucial for understanding ecosystem dynamics and population structures. Analyzing trophic efficiencies helps ecologists assess the health of ecosystems, the impact of human activities, and strategies for sustainable resource management.