Transcript of The Flow of Energy in Ecosystems.
BUT it does change forms, and can be transferred through organisms. According to the law of conservation of energy, energy cannot be created or destroyed... The Flow of Energy in Ecosystems How about an example? What is Photosynthesis you ask?... A consumer is an organism that is not capable of making it's own food on it's own and therefore relies on producers of food and energy. THE SUN is Earth's primary source of energy and it is pretty much the reason for all life on this planet. The sun emits solar energy in the form of light and heat which are needed for life on Earth. Producers (which are usually plants) use this energy from the sun in a process called photosynthesis. Well, Photosynthesis is a process used to convert the light energy captured from the sun into chemical energy. This stored chemical energy helps fuel the organism. A carnivore is an organism that gets its energy from a diet consisting mainly of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging. Decomposers are organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms. They can break down cells of other organisms which they use as their food source. Consumers tie into these next categories as all of the following are not able to make food on their own. Herbivores are organisms that are adapted to eat plant-based foods. They eat foods such as plants and algae and are generally known as primary consumers. Omnivores are animals that eat both plants and animals. Although not specifically adapted to eating and digesting either one, many omnivores depend on a mix of diet for good health. This next organism is usually found towards the top of the food chain. These producers are more than important for consumers The next type of organism is half herbivore and half carnivore... This next organism is very important to every ecosystem... HOWEVER, there is a decline of chemical bond energy that happens along each trophic level. Only around 10% of the energy is available from one level to the next. This means a limiting number of carnivores at the end of the "chain" in comparison to the other levels How about we take another look, shall we? This means that: From here... To Here Only 10% of the plant's energy is passed on to the goat. 10% 10% In other words, this pretty much means that... You'll probably see more of these... ...Than you would of these. Don't be sad though Mr. Lion, this is all a part of the flow of energy among the food chain which you play such an important part of... so cheer up! In summary, the flow of energy in an ecosystem indeed, changes forms and is transferred through different organisms. However not all of it's energy is passed on to the next organism usually leading to a more abundant number of producers and primary consumers. Well, thank you for listening, I hope you learned something and enjoyed it. :)Full transcript