How energy travels through an ecosystems?

Answer 1

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.