Question

Energy flows through an ecosystem following the Laws of Thermodynamics. Discuss this flow and determine how the transfers occur. Be sure to address energy pyramids, trophic levels and food chains, transfer of energy percent rule and what happens to the leftover energy, how high biodiversity affects this and how low biodiversity affects this.

Answer 1

Energy flows through an ecosystem following the Laws of Thermodynamics, with only about 10% of the energy passing on to the next trophic level. Biodiversity affects energy flow in ecosystems.

Step-by-step explanation:

Energy flows through an ecosystem following the Laws of Thermodynamics. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can only be transferred or transformed. In ecosystems, energy is transferred from one organism to another through food chains and food webs. The energy flow is represented by ecological pyramids, which show the decreasing amount of energy available at each trophic level. Only about 10% of the energy passes on to the next trophic level, with the rest being used for metabolic processes or lost as heat. Biodiversity affects energy flow in ecosystems, with higher biodiversity leading to more complex food webs and greater stability, while lower biodiversity can lead to disruptions in energy flow and ecosystem function.