Energy Flow in an Ecosystem

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Energy flow in an ecosystem refers to the movement of energy through different organisms in a food chain or food web. In a simple ecosystem, such as the one mentioned in the data, energy starts from the primary producers (plants, in this case, clover) and passes through various trophic levels as organisms consume each other.

Efficiency of Energy Transfer

Efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels is typically around 10%. This means that only 10% of the energy consumed by an organism is passed on to the next level. The rest of the energy is lost as heat through metabolic processes or used for the organism's own growth and development.

This phenomenon is known as Lindermann's law of 10% energy transfer. It explains the gradual decrease in energy available at each trophic level in an ecosystem as energy flows through the food chain.