Energy Flow through an Ecosystem

530 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ecological systems theory

ENERGY FLOW THROUGH AN ECOSTSTEM

Energy Flow through an Ecosystem

When you stop to think about the earth we live on, you begin to realize how much of it we take for granted. The planet earth is teaming with millions of living organisms and countless mountain tops. This way of thinking could also lead you to ask the questions, “Where did our major source of energy come from?” To answer the questions, most living things depend on the sun as their ultimate energy source. Let me elaborate on that point more, what we have going on, on earth is more or less a system. A system is defined as a network of independent components and processes, with materials and energy flowing from one component of the system to another (McGraw-Hill, 2013). When describing how most living things on earth use the sun as their ultimate source of energy the following things are factored; Photosynthesis, herbivory, predation, and decomposition. Separate, it seems as though they have nothing to do with each other, but when you put them together it makes it clear how these factors are most living things sourc...

Show More
Related

  • Cellular Respiration And Photosynthesis Essay

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    So, after learning about what photosynthesis is and how it truly works is something that is remarkable and how plants are really the only living thing that uses this process. Such as photosynthesis is the process of taking in carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a gas that is exhaled from animals and goes into the air and is absorbed into a plant, water (H2O) which is absorbed through the roots of a plant or known as capillary action, sun light is absorbed through chloroplasts which contains chlorophyll or better known as the leaves of the plant. Sun light is what helps break down and rearranges the atoms of these two, which produces sugars (glucose, C6H12O6), and this is photosynthesis at its finest. With the photosynthesis process the plant can create a by-product known as oxygen gas which is released through the little pores into the atmosphere (Simon, Dickey, Hogan & Reece, n.d.). Photosynthesis is something that helps the plants to grow but it is also very beneficial to us for the fact that we need to breath oxygen to maintain our functions of life. Plants produce an abundant supply of energy that is stored because they are what I would like to call savers/hoarders. Plants store the extra energy that they produce into different things such as potatoes, carrots, and other different types of food in which we use to

    Read More

  • What Is Autotrophs?

    1642 Words  | 4 Pages

    All living things fall into two main categories based on how they obtain chemical energy. There are autotrophs and heterotrophs. Autotrophs are “an organism that uses energy from an external source, such as sunlight, to produce its own food without having to eat other organisms or their remains (page g14).” Within the food web, autotrophs are identified as producers because they convert the energy from sun into the energy they need through photosynthesis and are plants, algae and even some bacteria. In contrast, heterotrophs are “an organism that obtains its energy by eating other organisms or their remains (page g4).” Consumers include herbivores, carnivores, and decomposers. While autotroph are recognized by many in the

    Read More

  • Photosynthesis And Cellular Respiration Essay

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    In some way, shape, or form energy is one of the several reasons why there is an existence of life on earth. Cellular respiration and Photosynthesis form a cycle of that energy and matter to support the daily functions that allow organisms to live. Photosynthesis is often seen to be one of the most important life processes on Earth. Photosynthesis is a process by which plants use the energy of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose so other organisms can use it as food and energy. It changes light energy into chemical energy and releases oxygen. This way organisms can stay alive and have the energy to function. Chlorophyll is an organelle generally found in plants, it generates oxygen as a result too. As you can see without

    Read More

  • Thermodynamics and Evolution: A Misunderstood Dichotomy

    1420 Words  | 3 Pages

    An open system, like our Earth, is one that has no boundary, or whose boundary allows the passing of both energy and/or matter. The Earth receives solar energy in the form of visible light and infrared radiation. Without this energy, photosynthesis would not be carried out, nor would Earth be a habitable planet. The surface temperature would drop below the average temperature of 287 Kelvin creating a frozen Earth. There would be little to no atmospheric circulation; the only life would be found near deep hydrothermal vents. Since the Earth is an open system, it also needs to release energy. As the Earth takes in visible and infrared light from the sun, it also releases infrared light to prevent overheating (Breiterman, 2005). When deniers of evolution argue that the second law of thermodynamics strictly says “everything goes from order to disorder,” it is often not taken into account that, even if the Earth were to be a closed system, as one thing increases its entropic state another area of the system will decrease its entropy. (Morris, 1973).

    Read More

  • The Meaning of Ecology and Ecosystems

    1054 Words  | 3 Pages

    For example “Energy necessary for all life processes reaches the earth in the form of sunlight. By photosynthesis green plants convert the light energy into chemical energy, and carbon dioxide and water are transformed into sugar and stored in the plant.” Para 3 Columbia Encyclopedia:

    Read More

  • Photosynthesis And Photosynthesis

    1440 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sunlight fuels the planet and photosynthesis converts that solar energy into energy that plants transfer into the food chain. Photosynthesis provides plants with sugars and plant proteins that are important for animals as well as for human agriculture. Most people know the general idea behind it, but there are so many complicated processes that make up the entirety of photosynthesis. Different aspects of photosynthesis, the photosystems, and the photosynthetic pathways are still studied today because not everything about how they work and operate is known.

    Read More

  • Sunspots

    1093 Words  | 3 Pages

    Our Sun continuously converts hydrogen into helium and with this process it provides the essentials for life processes. In doing this it controls “our climate, provides light, raises tides, and drives the food chain” (Schaefer 34). Our Sun also has influenced many beliefs now and in the past. History has documented Sun worshipping religions while many current societies use solar calendars (Schaefer 34).

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Solar Energy

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    The sun has been a major aspect of life since the beginning of time. People used many other forms of energy before electricity was discovered. There has been a debate over energy resources for years. Many people are worried about what current energy resources may be doing to the environment. Oil spills and nuclear power plant mishaps have only been a few accidents that have had a big impact on the environment and the people who inhabit it. There are plenty of energy sources that do not harm the environment and are still able to get the job done. Solar energy is one energy alternative that will insure the betterment of the country and, at the same time, protect the natural environment.

    Read More

  • Atmospheric Cycle Essay

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬The Earth is a large and mysterious planet that we are just beginning to understand. There are many cycles and forces that go hand in hand in creating different environments on Earth. In this essay we will go over the five major cycles, the Atmosphere, Sun, Water/Ocean, Wind, and Earth cycles. We will also go over how the cycles interact and work together to form one of the most bio diverse planets in our galaxy.

    Read More

  • Ecosystem Services

    809 Words  | 2 Pages

    People have been relying for their daily needs and well-being on nature. The natural ecosystem provides varieties of goods and services to us, for instance, fresh water, fisheries, timber, water purification etc. The benefits that people directly get from the natural systems are called ecosystem services (ES).

    Read More

  • Human´s Impact on Global Climate Change

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    cause changes in earth’s energy as in changes in greenhouse gases affect, variations in the suns

    Read More

  • Solar Energy Essay

    1263 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Earth captures around 342 W/m2 of energy from the sun. This energy is in the form of solar radiation, which the atmosphere reflects about 77 W/m2 and will absorb around 68 W/m2 of solar radiation annually. Therefore, the Earth’s surface is receiving, on average, about 197 W/m2 of solar radiation annually. This amount of energy received is roughly more than 10,000 times the amount of all energy humans consume per year. This energy can be used to produce electricity or heat. This energy source is not being used to it’s potential considering how much effort would come into effect to store and transport this energy.

    Read More

  • Renewable Energy Essay

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    Why do we need to rely on renewable sources? Most of the energy that we use today come from fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, and oil. All of these resources are non-renewable, it can finish one day. In order to have a better world and a healthy environment for the future, people are trying to obtain energy from natural resources instead of non-renewable sources. In the lecture “Renewable energy resources” (2014), Mistry focuses on some advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy. There are different kind of resources that we can use in order to produce renewable energy. Solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power are just some of the kinds of renewable energy that might be the best options to obtain energy because they come from

    Read More

  • An Essay On Climate Change

    568 Words  | 2 Pages

    The earth is a complex system, which continues to evolve and change. Climate change and global warming are currently popular in the political agenda. But what does “climate” really mean? The difference between weather and climate can be conveyed in a single sentence: “Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.” Based on research of the geologic record, we know that climate change has happened throughout Earth's history and at present, ever-increasing evidence points to the roles that humans play in altering Earth systems. The Earth and its atmosphere receive heat energy from the sun; the atmospheric heat budget of the Earth depends on the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation from the planet; which has been constant over the last few thousand years. However present evidence seems to suggest that the recent increase in temperature has been brought about by pollution of the atmosphere, in particular the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide, mostly through Anthropogenic Forcing (human activity) and other various internal and external factors. I...

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Photosynthesis

    900 Words  | 2 Pages

    Photosynthesis is the process in which living cells from plants and other organisms use sunlight to produce nutrients from carbon dioxide and water, the image below “Diagram of photosynthesis 1,” helps show this process. Photosynthesise generally creates oxygen as a by-product through the use of the green pigment, chlorophyll, found in the plant that helps this reaction occur. “Photosynthesis provides us with most of the oxygen we need in order to breathe. We, in turn, exhale the carbon dioxide needed by plants,” (factmonster,2017). This is able to show us why photosynthesis is so greatly needed to occur through plants in order to give one another essentials needed for continuity of life. “Plants perform photosynthesis because it generates the food and energy they need for growth and cellular respiration,” (photosynthesieeducation, 2016).

    Read More

More about Energy Flow through an Ecosystem

Open Document