Give reasons.a. Energy flow through an ecosystem is ‘one way’.b. Equilibrium is necessary in the various bio-geo-chemical cycles.c. Flow of nutrients through an ecosystem is cyclic.
a. The producers convert solar energy into chemical energy in the form of organic compounds. The primary consumers (herbivores) derive their nutrition from the producers. According to the energy transfer law, only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the other.
So, the energy that is captured by the producers does not revert back to the Sun and the energy transferred to the herbivores does not come back to the producers. It just keeps on moving to the next trophic level in a unidirectional way. That is why the flow of energy in the food chain is always unidirectional/one way.
b. The cyclic flow of nutrients within an ecosystem is called as the biogeochemical cycle. A continuous transfer of nutrients which are necessary for the growth of organisms occurs from abiotic to biotic factors and biotic to abiotic factors in an ecosystem. This nutrient cycle operates continuously through the biosphere formed by lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere.
The recycling of these biogeochemicals depends upon the level of energy transfer in the ecosystem. Any type of disturbance at any level of these cycles affects the ecosystems and nature's balance. Hence, there should be equilibrium in the various biogeochemical cycles.
c. Flow of nutrients through an ecosystem is cyclic as the nutrients move from one trophic level to another trophic level all the way up and then back down. The cyclic flow of nutrients occur in the following manner:
- Producers/green plants which are present at the lowest trophic level manufacture the nutrients by the help of the sun's energy through the process of photosynthesis.
- These nutrients manufactured by the producers are passed on to the primary consumers/herbivores.
- The secondary consumers feed on primary consumers resulting in the passage of nutrients from the primary consumers to the secondary consumers.
- The tertiary and the quaternary consumers also obtain nutrients from feeding one or all of the lower trophic levels.
Finally, these nutrients are transferred back to the soil from the higher trophic levels through decomposition. The process of decomposition is carried out by organisms such as bacteria and fungi.
a. The producers convert solar energy into chemical energy in the form of organic compounds. The primary consumers (herbivores) derive their nutrition from the producers. According to the energy transfer law, only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the other.
So, the energy that is captured by the producers does not revert back to the Sun and the energy transferred to the herbivores does not come back to the producers. It just keeps on moving to the next trophic level in a unidirectional way. That is why the flow of energy in the food chain is always unidirectional/one way.
b. The cyclic flow of nutrients within an ecosystem is called as the biogeochemical cycle. A continuous transfer of nutrients which are necessary for the growth of organisms occurs from abiotic to biotic factors and biotic to abiotic factors in an ecosystem. This nutrient cycle operates continuously through the biosphere formed by lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere.
The recycling of these biogeochemicals depends upon the level of energy transfer in the ecosystem. Any type of disturbance at any level of these cycles affects the ecosystems and nature's balance. Hence, there should be equilibrium in the various biogeochemical cycles.
c. Flow of nutrients through an ecosystem is cyclic as the nutrients move from one trophic level to another trophic level all the way up and then back down. The cyclic flow of nutrients occur in the following manner:
- Producers/green plants which are present at the lowest trophic level manufacture the nutrients by the help of the sun's energy through the process of photosynthesis.
- These nutrients manufactured by the producers are passed on to the primary consumers/herbivores.
- The secondary consumers feed on primary consumers resulting in the passage of nutrients from the primary consumers to the secondary consumers.
- The tertiary and the quaternary consumers also obtain nutrients from feeding one or all of the lower trophic levels.
Finally, these nutrients are transferred back to the soil from the higher trophic levels through decomposition. The process of decomposition is carried out by organisms such as bacteria and fungi.
