ENERGY-ITS FLOW IN ECOSYSTEM

Energy-Defined
Energy can be defined as the capacity to do work, whether that
work be on a gross scale as raising mountains and moving air
masses over continents, or on a small scale such as transmitting a
nerve impulse from one cell to another.

Kinds of Energy
There are two kinds of energy, potential and kinetic. They can be explained
as under:-

1. Potential Energy
Potential energy is energy at rest. It is capable and available for work.

2. Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy is due to motion, and results in work. Work that results from
the expenditure of energy can be of two kinds:
(1) It can store energy (as potential energy).
(2) It can order matter without storing energy.

Laws of Thermodynamics
The expenditure and storage of energy is described by two laws of
thermodynamics:-

(i) Law of conservation of energy:

The law of conservation of energy states that energy is neither

created nor destroyed. It may change forms, pass from one place to
another, or act upon matter in various ways. In this process no gain
or loss in total energy occurs. Energy is simply transferred from one
form or place to another.

Two Reactions
There may be either of the two reactions:

1. Exothermic Reaction
When wood is burnt the potential energy present in the molecules of wood
equals the kinetic energy released, and heat is evolved to the surroundings.
This is an exothermic reaction.
2. Endothermic Reaction
In an endothermic reaction, energy from the surrounding may be paid into a
reaction. For example, in photosynthesis, the molecules of the products store
more energy than the reactants. The extra energy is acquired from the
sunlight yet there is no gain or loss in total energy.

(ii) Law of Decrease in Energy:

The second law of thermodynamics states that on the
transformation of from one kind to another, there is an increase in
entropy and a decrease in the amount of useful energy. In this way,
when coal in burned in a boiler to produce steam, some of the
energy creates steam that performs work, but part of the energy is
dispersed as heat to the surrounding air.

Three Sources of Energy

Three sources of energy account for all the work of the ecosystem. These
sources are gravitation. Internal forces within the earth and solar radiation.
The last one is significant for ecosystem. The solar radiation, which
originates from sun is the source of energy for life and is what sets the
ecosystem, besides other natural system.

Energy Flow
Due to unidirectional flow of energy, the behavior of energy in ecosystem is
called Energy Flow. From the energetics point of view, energy flow is
explained as under:

(i) The efficiency of the producers in absorption and conversion of

solar energy.
(ii) The use of the above said converted chemical form of energy by
the consumers.
(iii) The total input of energy in form of food and its efficiency of
assimilation.
(iv) The loss caused through respiration, heat, excretion etc.
(v) The gross, net production.

Single Channel Energy Model

Lindemann (1942) was the first to propose the community energetics
approach or the trophic-dynamic model) to ecology, which enables an
investigator to compare the relative rates at which different kinds concerning
energy flow through forest ecosystems by the application of this kind of
approach, e.g. by comparing ratios of leaf fall to litter deposition on the
forest floor. His conclusion was that the rates of leaf production are higher
and those of litter accumulation lower, in the tropics than at higher latitudes.

Fig.: Single channel energy model.

The following conclusion can be drawn from the above figure:

(1) Out of the total incoming solar radiation (118,872 g cal/cm2 /yr),
118,761 gcal/cm2/yr remain unutilized. In this way, the gross production
(net production plus respiration) by autotrophs comes to be 111 gcal/cm2/yr
with an efficiency of energy capture of 0.10 percent.

(2) Again 21 per cent of this energy, or 23 gcal/cm2/yr (show on the

bottom as respiration) is consumed in metabolic reactions of autotrophs for
their growth, development, maintenance and reproduction.

(3) 15 gcl/cm2/yr are consumed by herbivores that graze of feed on

autographs-this figure amounts to 17 per cent of net autotroph production.

(4) Decomposition is 3 gcal/cm2/yr which amount to be 3, 4 per cent of net

production.

(5) The remainder of the plant material, 70 gcal/cm2/yr of 79.5 per cent
production, is not utilized. It becomes part of the accumulating sediments.
Apparently much more energy is available for herbivory than is consumed.

We may conclude the following conclusions

(1) Various pathways of loss are equivalent to and account for total energy
capture of the autotrophs i.e. gross production.

(2) The three upper fates i.e. decomposition, herbivory and not utilized
collectively are equivalent to net production.
(3) Of the total energy which is incorporated at the herbivory level, i.e. 15/
gcal/cm2yr, 30 percent of 4.5 gcal/cm2/yr is used in metabolic reactions.

(4) In this way more energy is lost via respiration by herbivores (30 percent)
than by autotrophs (21 percent),

(5) Considerable energy is available for the carnivores, namely 10.5

gcal/cm2/yr or 70-per cent. It is not entirely utilized, merely 3.0 gcal/cm2/
yr or 28.6 per cent of net production passes to the carnivores. This
utilization of resources is evidently more efficient than the one, which occurs
at autotroph-herbivore transfer level.

(6) At the carnivore level the consumption in metabolic activity is about

percent of the carnivores energy intake.

(7) The remainder becomes part of the un-utilized sediments;

(1) There is Noe-way Street along which energy moves (unidirectional flow of
energy.

(a) The energy that is captured by the autotrophs does not revert back to
solar input.

(b) The energy which passes does not pass back to the autotrophs. It moves
progressively through the various trophic levels. As such, it is no longer
available to the previous level. Since there is one-way flow of energy, the
system would collapse in case the primary source, the sun, was cut off.

(2) Secondly, progressive decrease in energy level is seen at each trophic

level. This decrease is accounted as under:

(i) By the energy dissipated as heat in metabolic activities.

(ii) Measured here as respiration coupled with unutilized energy.
Below is a figure after Epodum (1963).
 Energy flow diagram

This is a simplified energy flow diagram

(1) The diagram depicts three trophic levels. Boxes numbered
1, 2, 3 in a leaner food chain exhibit these.
(2) L. shows total energy input (3000).
(3) LA shows light absorbed by plant cover (1500).
(4) P.G. shows gross Primary production.
(5) A shows total assimilation.
(6) Pn shows net primary production.
(7) P shows secondary (consumer) production.
(8) Nu shows energy not used (stored or exported).
(9) NA shows energy not assimilated by consumers (egested).
(10) R shows respiration.
Some more elucidation of the figure is as under:
(1) The boxes represent the trophic levels
(2) The pipes depict the energy flow in and out of each level.