Explain why it is more energy efficient (in terms of the amount of total NPP required) to eat a pound of tofu (bean curd) than a pound of hamburger.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of Net Primary Productivity (NPP). NPP is the amount of energy that plants, or primary producers, store as biomass after accounting for the energy they use during respiration. This energy is available to the next trophic level in the food chain, which are the herbivores or primary consumers.
2. Step 2: Recognize that energy transfer between trophic levels is inefficient. Only about 10% of the energy stored as biomass in one trophic level is transferred to the next. This is known as the 10% rule in ecology.
3. Step 3: Understand that tofu is made from soybeans, which are primary producers. When we consume tofu, we are consuming energy directly from the first trophic level.
4. Step 4: Understand that a hamburger is made from beef, which comes from cows. Cows are primary consumers, as they eat grass, a primary producer. When we consume a hamburger, we are consuming energy from the second trophic level.
5. Step 5: Conclude that eating a pound of tofu requires less total NPP than eating a pound of hamburger because energy transfer between trophic levels is inefficient. By eating tofu, we are consuming energy directly from the first trophic level, whereas eating a hamburger involves an additional step of energy transfer, resulting in more energy loss.