Name: Ecological Pyramids
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 7 min 39 s
Description: An ecological pyramid is a graphical representation showing the relationship between different organisms in an ecosystem. Learn more in this video.

Question

Explain the following with suitable examples.

What are differences between flow of matter and of energy in an ecosystem? Why?

Accepted Answer

The main difference between the flow of matter and flow of energy is that the flow of matter is a cyclic process, whereas the flow of energy is a non-cyclic process, it is unidirectional. The flow of matter can be shown as follows:

Decomposers breakdown the dead and decaying organic matter which release the nutrients in the atmosphere.

These nutrients are utilised by plants and reaches the primary consumers, secondary consumers.

These living things die and the cycle repeats.

The flow of energy is unidirectional. The amount of energy reduces as we move from lower trophic level to higher trophic level. The gradual decrease is due to the loss of energy in the form of metabolic heat. The energy from plants reaches the herbivores to omnivores to carnivores, and to decomposers.

Explain the following with suitable examples.

What are differences between flow of matter and of energy in an ecosystem? Why?

Important Questions on Energy Flow in an Ecosystem

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