Practice and Revision - Energy Flow in an Ecosystem
Let us practise and revise what we learned about energy flow in an ecosystem. Energy flows through an ecosystem via food chains and webs, st
Core concept
Producers (plants) capture solar energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of energy flow in most ecosystems.
How it works
Energy flows from producers to primary consumers (herbivores), then to secondary and tertiary consumers (carnivores) in food chains.
Why it matters
At each trophic level, only about 10% of energy transfers to the next level, with the rest lost as heat, following the 10% law.
Key detail
A food web, consisting of interconnected food chains, more accurately represents the complex energy flow within a real ecosystem.
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Key diagram

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Quick notes
• Producers capture solar energy via photosynthesis.
• They form the base of energy flow.
• Energy flows: producers to consumers.
• Primary (herbivores), secondary/tertiary (carnivores).
• Only ~10% of energy transfers per level.
• This is the 10% law. Rest lost as heat.
• Food web: interconnected food chains.
• It represents complex real ecosystem flow.