Final answer:
The total amount of energy in an ecosystem is conserved through energy transfer to organisms and the release of thermal energy. Energy is also transferred to smaller organisms and stored in the bodies of larger animals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The total amount of energy is conserved in an ecosystem in two ways:
- Some energy is transferred to the organisms, and the remaining energy is released into the ecosystem as thermal energy. For example, when a herbivore eats a plant, it uses some of the energy for its own needs, and the excess energy is available to the herbivore.
- Some energy is transferred to smaller organisms, and the rest is stored in the bodies of larger animals. This is seen in the energy flow from producers to primary consumers and then to higher-level consumers in a food chain or food web.