Consider the following food chain:- Grass->Deer->Lion If 10000J of so...
100J consumed by plant,10J consumed by deer and deer will transfer 1J to lion
Consider the following food chain:- Grass->Deer->Lion If 10000J of so...
Energy Transfer in a Food Chain
In a food chain, energy is transferred from one organism to another through the consumption of food. The energy originates from the sun and is captured by plants through the process of photosynthesis. Let's analyze the given food chain and calculate the energy transfer from the grass to the deer and then to the lion.
1. Solar Energy to Grass
The grass at the base of the food chain receives 10000J of solar energy. This energy is converted into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. Only a fraction of the solar energy is actually captured by the grass, as not all wavelengths of light can be absorbed by plants. The captured energy is stored in the form of glucose, which is used for the plant's growth and metabolism.
2. Energy Transfer from Grass to Deer
When a deer consumes the grass, it obtains a portion of the energy stored in the plant. However, not all of the energy is transferred to the deer. Energy is lost at each trophic level due to several factors, such as metabolic processes, heat loss, and incomplete digestion. The efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels is typically around 10%.
3. Energy Transfer from Deer to Lion
Similarly, when a lion consumes a deer, it obtains a portion of the energy stored in the deer's body. Again, energy is lost during this transfer due to metabolic processes and heat loss.
Energy Calculation:
To calculate the energy available to the deer and subsequently to the lion, we can use the 10% rule of energy transfer.
- Energy available to the deer = 10% of the energy available to the grass
- Energy available to the lion = 10% of the energy available to the deer
Calculation:
- Energy available to the deer = 10% of 10000J = 1000J
- Energy available to the lion = 10% of 1000J = 100J
Therefore, the energy available to the deer to transfer to the lion is 100J, not 10J as mentioned in the question.
Conclusion
The energy available for transfer from one trophic level to another in a food chain is significantly reduced due to energy losses at each stage. The 10% rule is a general approximation of energy transfer, but the actual percentage may vary in different ecosystems and circumstances.
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