|  | Public Health Safety | Public Health

Example of Energy Flow

Energy is the ability to do work. Energy can be transformed from one form into another but it cannot be created or destroyed. During the transformation of one type of energy into another, some amount of energy is released, usually in the form of heat. There are various forms of energy such as light energy, heat energy, and chemical energy. In an ecological system there is a continuous transformation of one form of energy into another and this energy flow is crucial for maintenance of life.

  1. Energy flow in ecosystems

    • The energy flow in an ecosystem can be follows the sequence of acquisition of energy, use of energy and transformation of energy.

    Acquisition of energy

    • In an ecosystem, the main source of energy is sun. In the sun, hydrogen is constantly transformed to helium with the release of enormous amount of energy. This energy leaves the sun and passes into the outerspace in the form of light and other radiations. About 48% of the total solar radiation reaches the earth's surface. Some of these radiations are again reflected back into the atmosphere. Only a very small amount (0.1%) of light energy absorbed by the green plant is utilized in the formation of food.

    Use of energy

    • In respiration and various other metabolic processes some amount of potential energy is released. Primary consumers feed on producers and thereby get the potential energy of producers. The secondary consumers feed on primary consumers, from where they get their potential energy. This energy is transferred into the tertiary consumers.

    Transference of energy

    • In an ecosystem, the producers (green plants) transform light energy to the potential chemical energy of food. During this transformation some amount of energy is released as heat energy. The transfer of food energy from producer to various types of consumers is known as the food chain. The transference of energy is shown below.

      Solar ' Green plant ' Grasshopper ' Toad ' Snake (Tertiary consumer) ' Vulture (Final consumer)

    Conclusion

    • The solar energy trapped by the autotrophs can not be returned to the solar system again and similarly the energy of the primary consumers can not be go back to the autotrophs and from secondary consumers to primary consumers and so on. In other words, energy flow is unidirectional.

      Energy can flow from one tropic level to the other level but cannot return back. During energy flow there is a degradation of energy from one tropic level to the next as in each tropic level some of the energy is lost as heat during metabolism.

Public Health - Related Articles