Energy input in ecosystem, Biology

Assignment Help:

Energy Input in Ecosystem

Survival and functioning of ecosystem is dependent on the input of energy. Continuous availability of energy is essential for supporting diverse ecosystem processes. For any ecosystem, the ultimate source of energy is sunlight. And as you know, it enters the ecosystem through the producers. When a primary consumer (herbivore) eats a producer, and is itself eaten by secondary consumers, we can say that energy is flowing through the ecosystem. The information provided therein, would serve you as a base material for understanding this and the subsequent sections of this unit. As you already know that the amount of solar energy received at the outer boundary of earth's atmosphere is at the rate of 2cal/cm2/min. This quantity is fixed and known as solar constant. You have also learnt that about 30 per cent often sunlight reaching the earth's atmosphere is reflected back into space, about 51 per cent is absorbed as heat by ground, vegetation or water, and about 19 per cent is absorbed by the atmosphere.

Only a small fraction of sunlight, that is, about 0.b2 per tent reaching the atmosphere is used in photosynthesis. Nevertheless; it is this small fraction on which all the organisms of the ecosystem depend. The actual amount of solar flux' received at the surface of the earth is dependent on various climatic, geographic and other environmental factors. On an average the total amount of solar energy that reaches the earth's surface is about 3,400 kcal/m2/day. It varies significantly from one place to another, for example, it decreases with latitude and its input also varies during different seasons at any given location.


Related Discussions:- Energy input in ecosystem

Name the hormones produced by the testes, Name the hormones produced by ...

Name the hormones produced by (a) the testes, (b) the ovaries.   (a) The testes produce testosterone. (b) The ovaries produce oestrogen and progesterone.

Explain vitamins requirement during thyphoid, Explain Vitamins requirement ...

Explain Vitamins requirement during thyphoid Vitamins : Vitamins which need to be emphasized include B complex, considering the increase  in  the energy requirement and a decr

How do the products of meiosis i differ from of meiosis ii, How do the prod...

How do the products of meiosis I differ from those of meiosis II? In meiosis I, the offspring cells are haploid but every cell contains two copies of the chromosome because th

Habitat for the worlds species, Q. Habitat for the worlds species? Natu...

Q. Habitat for the worlds species? Natural ecosystems provide habitat for the world's species. Forests, coral reefs and deep ocean bottoms house many species. Wetlands, through

Interspecific competition, Darwin while evolving the concept of natural sel...

Darwin while evolving the concept of natural selection laid emphasis on competition among individuals belonging to a species, that is intraspecific competition. Here the individual

How is the circulatory system of birds characterized, How is the circulator...

How is the circulatory system of birds characterized? Birds, as every vertebrate, have a closed circulatory system. The heart is same to the mammalian heart, having four chambe

Dfine digestion, Dfine Digestion, Absorption and Transport of proteins? ...

Dfine Digestion, Absorption and Transport of proteins? Under this sub-section, we shall learn how proteins that we consume are digested, absorbed and transported to various bod

Iron - mineral elements, IRON It is present in bread, potatoes, green v...

IRON It is present in bread, potatoes, green vegetables, especially spinach, lettuce, cocoa, raisins, red meat, liver, kidney, egg yolk etc. Iron is also available in the bo

Genetics, What are the Elements of Heredity and variations?

What are the Elements of Heredity and variations?

Difference between recessive allele and dominant allele?, What is the diffe...

What is the difference between recessive allele and dominant allele? The Dominant allele is the allele that determines phenotypical features that manifest in heterozygous or ho

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

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!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd