Already have an account? Get multiple benefits of using own account!
Login in your account..!
Remember me
Don't have an account? Create your account in less than a minutes,
Forgot password? how can I recover my password now!
Enter right registered email to receive password!
Energy Flow in the Ecosystem
The principal source of energy for any ecosystem is sunlight. All food materials that we or other animals consume are manufactured directly or indirectly by plants. Think of your breakfast, bread is made of a cereal that is produced from plant material, egg from hen which has fed on plant products; and milk from cow which has consumed grass or fodder derived from plants. In a nutshell, the energy that we obtain from plants either by burning wood or by eating them, represents the solar energy trapped by the plants. We are dependent on the stored resources of solar energy. When we eat meat, we obtain energy that had been stored by plants several years before and then taken up by an animal like a goat through grazing. When we cut firewood for fuel, we obtain energy accumulated and stored by trees for perhaps a century or more. When we bum coal or petroleum, we obtain solar energy stored by plant life, millions of years ago. Now let us trace the energy flow through an ecosystem. This is represented diagramatically in Fig.
Notice that the energy from the producer to the last level has decreased considerably. The energy passed on to the next trophic level is represented by letter E of three different sizes, each by its size indicates the comparative amount of energy. The arrows in the upper half of the diagram indicate the loss of energy in the form of heat given out by different organisms. The arrows in the lower half show the energy loss via the wastes secreted and energy trapped in dead bodies of the organisms. Decomposers use these wastes and dead bodies as sources of food and derive energy from them. They also give out some unused heat energy. Energy flowing through an ecosystem is thus first captured by the producers. From the producers the energy passes to various consumers, via food. At the end of the chain we find that very little energy is left for the last trophic level, because some energy is always lost in going from one level to the next. This loss of energy limits the number of trophic levelsin the ecosystem, and so they are seldom more than five. This also clearly shows that why the steps in a food chain are limited to four or five.
can you explain to me the mohs hardness scale ?
Explain the Functions of Glucocorticoids Cortisol, cortisone and hydrocortisone are the names given to the glucocorticoids. What is their function in our body? They play a majo
Let us recall briefly what all we have learnt about fire hazards in this unit. Fire accident can happen due .to a number of reasons, like, flammable liquids, faulty electrical and
Explain Intermittent positive pressure lung inflation When medulla is affected, the cough reflex may be lost. To prevent secretions entering the lungs, a tube is inserted into
Nucleic acids are polymers of nucleotides. Nucleotides are nucleoside phosphates.
What is happening to the length of a day on the Earth, as a result of the gravitational pull of the Moon?
Discuss about the life on earth We can say that all life on Earth is locked in the minerals and by weathering nutrients important to life are made available. Even life in the s
Explain Ways How Immune System Protect Us 1) It creates a barrier that prevents bacteria and viruses from entering our body. 2) If a bacterium or virus does get into the b
Describe the factors which decide the broad area of scientific activity/
Properties Some of the important physico-chemical characteristics of riboflavin are as follows: a) Riboflavin forms needle shaped orange crystals. b) It is sparingl
Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!
whatsapp: +1-415-670-9521
Phone: +1-415-670-9521
Email: [email protected]
All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd