* Digestion and Loss: During digestion, the bear's body breaks down the salmon's complex molecules into simpler ones that it can absorb. This process involves enzymes and other chemical reactions, which require energy. Some energy is lost as heat during these processes.
* Waste Products: Not all the food the bear consumes is digested and absorbed. Some of it is excreted as waste products like feces, which contain energy that the bear could not utilize.
* Energy Storage: A bear might not use all the energy from the salmon immediately. Some energy is stored as fat reserves for later use. This stored energy isn't directly gained from the salmon but represents a conversion of the salmon's energy.
In summary, while a brown bear receives a significant amount of energy from consuming a salmon, it doesn't acquire 100% of the salmon's total energy due to the inefficiencies of digestion, energy expenditure, and waste production.