Question

As we move above up from one trophic level to another in an energy pyramid, what happens to the energy?

Answer 1

Each organism at each trophic level uses some energy. For example, a cow eats grass to get energy - some of the energy it stores in fat and other tissues, the rest of the energy it uses to breathe, move around, moo, etc. So for each trophic level energy passes through, some of it is used to do other things and essentially lost from the food system.