Describe the general flow of energy through an ecosystem beginning with the Sun and going through a third order consumer.

1) Autotrophs transform solar energy into chemical energy.

2) Herbivores and omnivores (primary consumers) eat producers, make use of some of the energy, making from it their biomass.

3) Following, carnivores or predators (secondary, tertiary, and other consumers) eat herbivores, using only 10% of the flowing energy.

4) Decomposers (last order in the chain) recycle all the dead organic material and make use of some of the stored energy.  

Explanation:

Energy flow: From the whole quantity of energy that reaches the earth's surface, only 0.1 or 1% is absorbed by autotroph organisms or producers.  

From this input of solar energy, it begins a unidirectional energy flow through all the organisms in the ecosystem, from autotrophs to heterotrophs, until it is finally dissipated in the environment.  

Organisms that can use light, and turn it into organic matter according to their own needs are producers, and they are called autotrophic organisms. These organisms are by excellence all plants, algae, and bacteria that photosynthesize. Organisms that are incapable of producing their food are called heterotrophic. They depend on other organisms from the trophic chain such as plants or other animals to feed on, so they can get proteins and energy.  In the trophic web, heterotrophic organisms occupy the first, second, or third consumer level, after producers.  There are different types of heterotrophic animals: carnivorous, herbivorous, omnivorous, hematophagous, ichthyophagous, and etcetera. All of them depend on autotrophic organisms.

At each trophic level, it occurs an energy transfer from one level to the next, with only 10% being usable in each of them. This assessment is called "The 10% rule". This is, as a general rule, only about 10% of the energy stored as biomass at one trophic level, per unit time, ends up as biomass at the next trophic level, in the same unit of time.

The progressive reduction of energy determines the number of trophic levels in the chain (4 or 5).  

1) Autotrophs use water, CO2, and solar energy to produce O2 and glucose, by the process of photosynthesis and convert it into biomass. Producers transform solar energy into chemical energy.

2) Herbivores and omnivores (primary consumers) make use of some of this energy to survive, making from it their biomass. The rest of the energy is lost.

3) Following, carnivores or predators (secondary, tertiary, and other consumers) eat herbivores, using only 10% of the flowing energy. The rest of the energy is lost.

4) When different organisms die, decomposers (last order in the chain) recycle all the organic material and make use of some of the energy stored in their tissues. The rest is lost.

your answer should be c) enjoy!

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