1. Energy from the sun is stored through photosynthesis in plants. This energy is then transferred to primary consumers like herbivores that eat the plants. Higher-level consumers that eat other animals also obtain this energy, though less is available at each level. 2. Food chains and food webs show the transfer of energy between organisms in an ecosystem, with producers at the bottom and different consumer levels above. Only about 10% of the energy is transferred between levels, which is illustrated in an energy pyramid.