Energy Budget
The accounting of energy intake, storage, and expenditure in an organism. All energy acquired must be allocated between survival (maintenance), growth, and reproduction—the biological equivalent of financial budgeting.
Biological Context
Life history theory formalizes energy budgets: Total Energy = Survival + Growth + Reproduction. Pacific salmon allocate 100% to reproduction and die; Atlantic salmon balance across multiple spawning seasons. Oak trees in mast years allocate heavily to reproduction (60kg of acorns), then recover for 2-7 years. The constraint is absolute—organisms cannot spend more than they acquire without depleting reserves and dying.
Business Application
Business energy budgets: companies allocate resources across Survival (operations), Growth (investment), and Returns (profitability). The 100-Unit Rule states that total allocation cannot exceed 100%—companies funding growth through unsustainable burn violate this and eventually collapse. Pacific salmon strategy = all-in growth (startups in gold rushes). Atlantic salmon strategy = balanced allocation (mature companies).