What happens to the energy as it transfer from producers to first consumers to the last consumers?

As energy transfers from producers (like plants) to first consumers (herbivores) and then to higher-order consumers (carnivores), a significant portion of it is lost at each trophic level, primarily as heat due to metabolic processes. Typically, only about 10% of the energy is passed on to the next level, following the "10% rule." This loss of energy limits the number of trophic levels in an ecosystem and emphasizes the efficiency of energy transfer within food chains. Consequently, ecosystems are structured with fewer top consumers compared to producers.