Ecosystem is the structural and functional unit of nature. It
is a stable life supporting system that involves extensive interactions between
biotic and abiotic components. The two most fundamental processes in any
ecosystem are the flow of energy and the
cycling of nutrients.
Definition of Energy flow: The
transfer of energy from one trophic level to another in a non-cyclic and linear
manner through food chain and food web is called energy flow. Each step in the
food chain is called trophic level.
Nutrient cycling is the cyclic back and forth movement of chemical elements between organisms and their physical environment of an ecosystem. It generally starts from nutrient pool (air, soil) to producers, producers to consumers, consumers to decomposers and then back to nutrient pool.
Nutrient cycling is the cyclic back and forth movement of chemical elements between organisms and their physical environment of an ecosystem. It generally starts from nutrient pool (air, soil) to producers, producers to consumers, consumers to decomposers and then back to nutrient pool.
Energy Flow
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Nutrient Cycling
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The transfer of energy from
one trophic level to another in a non-cyclic and linear manner through food
chain and food web is called energy flow
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It is the cyclic movement of nutrients between living
organisms and their physical environment in an ecosystem
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The flow of energy is
non-cyclic, linear and unidirectional as the energy lost is not available to
the previous trophic level
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Nutrients moves in a cyclic
manner between living organisms and their physical environment
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In energy flow, the
ultimate energy source is the sunlight
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Nutrient source always
belongs to earth often atmosphere or lithosphere (reservoir pool)
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During energy flow, energy
is lost at each trophic level primarily as heat and used by organisms for
respiration
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Nutrients are recycled in
an ecosystem without any loss
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Energy from sun enters as
light and exits an ecosystem mainly as heat
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Nutrients such as carbon,
nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur etc present on earth are used, recycled and
reused in an ecosystem
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In energy flow, the energy
is not recycled during decomposition
by decomposers, but is released mostly as heat
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Microorganisms such as
bacteria, fungi etc (Decomposers) plays a prominent role in cycling of
nutrients without any loss
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