Energy flow in

Ecosystem
A pre se nta ti on m ade wi th
C a nva.c om
 Energy enters
Ecosystem
• All Energy in Ecosystem comes from the
sun
• First law of Thermodynamics: Energy
cannot be created nor destroyed (but it
can be transformed into stored energy and
heat)
 Energy Leaves
Ecosystem
• Second Law of Thermodynamics: Energy
is lost as energy is transformed
• In Ecosystem, when energy is
transformed, some energy is lost as
HEAT.
 ENERGY PATHS
The Three ways to illus trate energy flow:

1. Food Chain: 2. Food Web: 3. F ood Pyramid

Single P ath Many Paths
Food Chain
a FOOD CHAIN shows the path of energy
from one organis m to next.

• energy flows from pr oducers to

consumers
• Arrows point who is eating
(plant is eaten by herbivores )
• Usually, decomposers are left out
Food Web
a FOO D WEB shows all feeding
relationships in an ecosystem (made
of many foods)
typically, Food Webs go like This :

CONSUMER
(CARNIVORE)

CONSUMER CONSUMER
DECOMPOSER
(OMNIVORE) (HERBIVORE)

PRODUCER
Energy Pyramids

fo od Chain /Fo od Web s can be

w ritte n as p yra mid :

• produc e rs form the bas e of

the pyr a mid
• C ons ume rs f orm t he uppe r
la ye rs
 Energy
Pyramids
the e ne rgy pyra mi d shows
e ne rgy f low in an e c osyste m:

• al l l evel of t he energy
pyr ami d i s cal l ed TROPHI C
LEVE L
• each tr ophi c l evel rep resent s
t he energy for t hose
org ani sms
 T r o p h i c
L e v e l s
On ly abo ut Energy is LOST
10% of th e wi t h each t roph ic
energy f rom
one l ev el is
passed on to • 9 0% i s rel e a s ed t o
the n ex t t h e e n vi ron me nt as
He at
level
• 1 0% o f t he en e rgy
i s u se d
Prepared By:

ANDREI LLEGADO BARELA

BSED-SCIENCE 3