Question

Define an ecosystem. Draw a block diagram to show the flow of energy in an ecosystem.

Answer 1

Ecosystem:

1. An ecosystem is a self-contained unit of living things(plants, animals, and decomposers), & their nonliving environment (soil, air, and water). Eg. – a grassland and a forest.
2. Energy flows in the ecosystem occur from one trophic level to another.
3. Photosynthetic plants are generally capable of capturing light energy and then converting it into chemical energy, which is further passed on to the next trophic level or primary consumers, then to secondary consumers and decomposers.
4. At each trophic level, about 10% of the energy is transferred to the next trophic level whereas the rest is utilized for metabolic activities and lost as heat in the environment.
5. The chemical energy gets decreased at each stage but the total energy in the system remains the same.