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The Flow of Energy in the Biosphere: Understanding the Importance of Solar Energy

Explore the significance of solar energy as the primary source driving energy flow in the biosphere. Discover how producers and consumers interact in food chains and webs, leading to the efficient transfer and loss of energy across different trophic levels. Unravel the concept of energy pyramids and how they represent the distribution of energy and biomass within ecosystems.

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The Flow of Energy in the Biosphere: Understanding the Importance of Solar Energy

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  1. Flow of Energy Through The BIOSPHERE

  2. Importance of Solar Energy • All Organisms require energy for metabolism • The original source of energy in the biosphere is the Sun

  3. Producers • Organisms that are capable of trapping solar energy to produce food (carbohydrates) • Also called Autotrophs

  4. Producers (cont.) • Along with producing their own food, producers are a source of food energy for all other living organisms

  5. Consumers • Organisms that get food energy by feeding off of other organisms • Also called heterotrophs

  6. Food Chains • As one organism feeds off of another the energy within the organism being fed on is transferred to the feeder, this is referred to as a FOOD CHAIN

  7. Feeding Levels within a food chain • Producers • 1st order consumers • 2nd order consumers • 3rd order consumers

  8. Example of A Basic Food Chain

  9. Food Webs • In an ecosystem there are many food chains • Usually the organisms found in one food chain are also a part of another food chain. • Several interconnected food chains are called Food Webs

  10. Example of a Food Web

  11. Energy Transfer • As energy is transferred from one organism to another in a food chain or web, a large fraction of the original energy is lost

  12. Energy Transfer (Continued) • Only 10% of the original amount of energy is passed from one trophic level to the next • This energy loss can be represented by a Pyramid of Energy

  13. Pyramid of Energy

  14. Pyramid of Energy (Continued) • At each level of the pyramid the smaller space represents the lesser amount of energy

  15. Pyramids of Numbers • Same as the pyramid of energy but represents the fact that there are fewer individuals at each successive feeding level

  16. Pyramid of Biomass • Represent the fact that there is less total mass found in each successive level

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