Get Energy In The Ecosystem Webquest Answer Key

The energy that is obtained by the producers from the sun does not revert to the Sun and the energy passed to the herbivores does not return to the producers. The energy always moves to the next trophic level in a unidirectional way. Therefore, the flow of energy through an ecosystem is always 'one way'.

The energy roles within an ecosystem are producer, consumer, and decomposer.

The flow of energy in an ecosystem follows the 10% rule, meaning only 10% of the energy is transferred to the successive trophic level and the rest is lost in the atmosphere. The energy is produced by the autotrophs, as they have photosynthetic pigments to harness the sunlight into chemical energy via photosynthesis.

Note: Energy flow in an ecosystem is always unidirectional in nature because most of energy is released at the trophic level in the form of heat and performing metabolic activities. Hence 10% is transferred from one trophic level to another. This makes unidirectional flow of energy.

The energy flow takes place via the food chain and food web. During the process of energy flow in the ecosystem, plants being the producers absorb sunlight with the help of the chloroplasts and a part of it is transformed into chemical energy in the process of photosynthesis.