Tag: energy flow and loss

The cost of ether ecosystem services like recreation and nutrient cycling are > 10% each.

An ecosystem comprises of biotic and abiotic components which interact with each other to maintain an equilibrium. A major focus of ecosystem ecology is on functional processes, ecological mechanisms, that maintain the structure and services produced by ecosystems. These include primary productivity (production of biomass), decomposition, and trophic interactions. The various trophic levels of an ecosystem interact with each other by  a flow of energy and cycling of materials from one trophic level to the other.

A food cycle is associated with energy flow in the ecosystem. It contains several trophic levels which are interdependent to each other for energy. Only 10% of energy can be transferred to the successive trophic level and rest 90% get utilise in their life processes.

Free energy cycle is the unidirectional cycle in our ecosystem. In other cycles like oxygen cycle, carbon dioxide cycle and water cycle, the basic elements are circulated and cycled whereas, in free energy cycle, energy flows from solar energy to producers and then consumers to decomposers. 

The number of trophic levels in the grazing food chain is restricted as the transfer of energy follows 10 per cent law only 10 per cent of the energy is transferred to each trophic level from the lower trophic level.

The ten percent law for the transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next was introduced by Raymond Lindeman (1942). 

Bioenergetics is a field in biochemistry, that concerns energy flow through living systems. This includes the study of different cellular processes, such as cellular respiration and the many other metabolic processes, that can lead to production and utilization of energy in forms such as ATP molecules.

The ten percent law for the transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next was introduced by Raymond Lindeman (1942). According to this law, during the transfer of energy from organic food from one trophic level to the next, only about ten percent of the energy from organic matter is stored as flesh. The remaining is lost during transfer, broken down in respiration, or lost to incomplete digestion by higher trophic levels.

Pyramids of numbers describes the relationship between organisms at successive trophic levels in terms of their number. In grassland, the producers, which are mainly grasses are always maximum in number as compared to the  primary consumers, the secondary consumers like snakes and lizards are lesser in number than the rabbits and mice. Finally, the top (tertiary) consumers like hawks or other birds are least in number. Thus, the pyramid becomes upright.

The physical components of the environment are also known as abiotic components. They include soil, water, air, climate, temperature and sunlight. It determines the type of habitat or living conditions of the living population. Thus the correct answer is option A.