In an ecosystem how is the movement of energy similar to that of chemical nutrients and how is it different?

Answer 1

Energy:

Solar energy is collected by autotrophs. Energy transformations are never completely efficient as energy is lost as heat and waste and only around 5-20% of energy is passed on to the next trophic level.

Nutrients:
Organisms take in nutrients from their food and these nutrients occur as complex organic molecules in living things. After these organisms died, saprotrophs and decomposers break down these organic molecules into simpler substances. These substances are then recycled when they are absorbed by plants to recreate complex organic molecules.

Answer 2

Energy moves through the ecosystem, starting as sunlight absorbed by plants, which is used to produce carbohydrates, which store energy, and sometimes these are converted into fats. Carbohydrates and fats are consumed by herbivorous animals, and carnivorous animals consume the herbivores to get the energy originally captured by plants. As for nutrients, such as vitamins or minerals, most of them are absorbed or produced by plants, and are later consumed by animals higher up the food chain, although some nutrients (such as Vitamin B12 or certain amino acids) are produced within animals, either by their own cells or by bacteria living in their digestive systems.

Answer 3

The Ecosystems does maintain themselves by cycling energy and nutrients obtained from the external sources.

Answer 4

nutrients cycle through the ecosystem in a circular fashion, and energy cycles through the ecosystem in a one way only fashion.

Answer 5

it is larger