Energy transfer in ecosystems is really interesting, but it doesn't work perfectly.
When we look at how energy moves, we see that only about 10% of the energy from one group of living things (called a trophic level) gets passed on to the next group. Here’s a simple breakdown:
Producers to Primary Consumers: Plants are known as producers because they use sunlight to make their own energy through a process called photosynthesis. They gather a lot of energy, but only about 10% of that energy is passed on to the herbivores (like rabbits and deer) that eat them.
Primary to Secondary Consumers: Next, when those herbivores are eaten by carnivores (called secondary consumers), again, only around 10% of the energy is passed on. So, the carnivores only get a small amount of the energy from the herbivores.
Decomposers: Finally, decomposers, like fungi and bacteria, break down dead plants and animals. They help recycle nutrients but also capture only a small part of the energy.
This system of energy transfer is not very efficient, meaning there are limits to how many levels an ecosystem can support. This makes a kind of pyramid shape.
For example, we don’t see a lot of large carnivores because there isn’t enough energy coming from the lower levels. So, as you go up the food chain, it's like the energy keeps getting less and less!
Energy transfer in ecosystems is really interesting, but it doesn't work perfectly.
When we look at how energy moves, we see that only about 10% of the energy from one group of living things (called a trophic level) gets passed on to the next group. Here’s a simple breakdown:
Producers to Primary Consumers: Plants are known as producers because they use sunlight to make their own energy through a process called photosynthesis. They gather a lot of energy, but only about 10% of that energy is passed on to the herbivores (like rabbits and deer) that eat them.
Primary to Secondary Consumers: Next, when those herbivores are eaten by carnivores (called secondary consumers), again, only around 10% of the energy is passed on. So, the carnivores only get a small amount of the energy from the herbivores.
Decomposers: Finally, decomposers, like fungi and bacteria, break down dead plants and animals. They help recycle nutrients but also capture only a small part of the energy.
This system of energy transfer is not very efficient, meaning there are limits to how many levels an ecosystem can support. This makes a kind of pyramid shape.
For example, we don’t see a lot of large carnivores because there isn’t enough energy coming from the lower levels. So, as you go up the food chain, it's like the energy keeps getting less and less!