How does energy travel through an ecosystem?

Answer 1

Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction, which is called the food chain. It's like a pyramid. At the bottom are producers. The producers contain the most energy gotten from the sun. The next are primary consumers. Consumers obtain energy by eating the producers The next layer are the secondary consumers. There may be another layer of consumers if there is enough energy in the system.

Sunlight --> producers (100% of the energy) --> primary consumers (10%)---> secondary consumers (1%)

The decomposers return some nutrients to the system are are active at all levels.

As you move up each level the energy decreases.

For example:

Kcal = Kilocalorie (energy) For example:

Grass, a producer produces 1,000 Kcal

The grass is eaten by mice or rats, the primary consumer and gets 100 Kcal

The mice or rat are eaten by ferrets, the secondary consumer and gets has 10 Kcal.

The ferrets are then eaten by owls, the apex consumer gets 1 Kcal which may not be enough to support the owls.

It can not go any further.

In an ecosystem the energy flow depends on the 10% law.That is when energy is being transferred from producers to consumers and from consumers to herbivores carnivores ,etc. only 10 %energy stored in the previous level is taken and used by the next Trophic Level.

energy flow (E) can be defined as the sum of metabolic production (P) and respiration (R), such that E=P+R.

Below is the energy flow in the ecosystem: sun - Producer - Consumer - Decomposers - Inorganic nutrient pool.

Answer 2

Primary source of energy for all ecosystems is the Sun. The links in the Energy flow system includes (i) Green plants or Producers (ii) Consumers of variiuios order like primary, secondary or tertiary levels which are CArnivores, secondary carnivores and (iii) Decomposers, which bring out decay of dead bodies of organisms.

Sun radiates energy that comes to earth. Only 3-5 % of solar energy reaches the earth and all remaining is reflected back to the space.

Out of the energy that has reached the earth, is used only by plants -hence called Producers-for photosynthesis. Plants use 90 % of the received energy for their life activities and store only 10 % in the form of grains, fruits or their body tissues. Thus 10 % of theenergy is available to the next level in the energy flowi.e. consumers.

First level consumer is formed by carnivores, as they receive only 10 % of the energy of plants, naturally their number is much lesser than the plants.

They use it for building their own bodies, tissues and for metabolic activities. Here also they make only 10 % of their received energy for next level-i.e. secondary carnivores. their number is much lesser than primary carnivores.

Secondary carnivores leave only 10 % of their received energy for next level, hence the number of tertiary carnivores d miserably small.

Thus if we draw a graphic of the energy available to the different energy levels with respect to their number, we get a broad based pyramid of energy, which explains the mode of distribution of energy in the ecosystem.

Finally the detrivores act on the dead bodies of all organisms- producers,and all consumers, to recycle back the different elements of the nature. They release the energy and minerals that were locked in the bodies of organisms in the form of tissues.

As the energy does not return to the Sun, the energy flow is said to be unidirectional.

Answer 3

Energy flows in one direction from producer to consumer to decomposer.

Answer 4

decreases by 10% after every trophic level.

Answer 5

it is transfered when consumers eat producers or primary consumers.

Answer 6

convection radiation conduction