ENERGY TRANSFORMATION

ENERGY TRANSFORMATION

The total energy from the solar energy that reaches the earth's surface only about 1% of it is available by the primary producer.
These primary producers transform a small % of light energy into chemical energy in food during photosynthesis, while the larger part is lost as heat energy during the various chemical reaction.
The plant uses most of the food energy for its metabolic activities with some lost as heat while only about 10% of it is passed to the primary consumer.
The primary consumer also Incorporate some more energy into their tissue and pass about 20% of energy to the next level unit until it reaches the tertiary consumer. When these die, the energy in the food stored in its body is eventually in the atmosphere as heat by the decomposers.

NUTRIENT CYCLING

Unlike energy which eventually lost to the atmosphere heat, the nutrient are always recycled in an ecosystem.
The product manufacture organic materials, these are eaten and assimilated by the consumer eventually at death, the organic matter that has been assimilated into the bodies of the consumer are broken down in organic materials by the action of the decomposers and these can be reabsorbed by the producers.
The most important of these Inorganic nutrients are Carbon, Nitrogen, Water and Oxygen.


The Carbon Cycle



The atmosphere contains a pool of CO2 which is being removed continuously by green plants for the process of photosynthesis. In the same way, the dissolved CO2 in the aquatic environment is absorbed and used by the photosynthetic Phytoplanktons.
This CO2 is manufactured into complex sugar e.g starch in the plant tissues, and the plants are eaten by the animals which also Incorporate the nutrient into their own tissues.
However, during respiration, both the plants are eaten by the animal which also Incorporates the nutrient into their own tissues.
However, during respiration, both the plants and animals break down the sugar to liberate carbon dioxide which returns back to the atmosphere and water, so also the plants and animals die, the decomposer act on their remains and bring about decay which sets free the trapped carbon dioxide to return back to the atmosphere.
In the situation whereby the plants and animals remain are partly decayed, these accumulated in the soil over many years to form fossil fuels like coal, peat, and petroleum.
When these fossil fuels are burnt by man to obtain energy for various purposes there is the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.
In the aquatic environment, the shells of many marine animals also release some quantity of CO2 into the water when the animals die.
Importance of Carbon In Nature
Carnon is very important in nature because it is carbon compounds that serve to be reservoirs of energy from which living organisms fetch along the food chain.

Oxygen Cycle

Just like there is a pool of oxygen gas, oxygen is removed from the atmosphere by both plant and animals as well as aerobic micro-organisms for the process of respiration and decay.
In like manner, fuels also use oxygen during combustion. However, an equivalent amount of oxygen is returned back into the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis by green plants.


Oxygen In Air & Water

Carbon - Oxygen In Nature

The Oxygen used up in the atmosphere through respiration and combustion is replenished through the process of photosynthesis and also the oxygen in the atmosphere is maintained at a constant level of about 20% of the air.
However, pollution of water bodies leads to an increase in activities of the decomposer as well as aerobic micro-organism and these leads to oxygen depletion which affects the survival of the aquatic organisms.
Carbon is being absorbed from the atmosphere by the process of photosynthesis and given to the air by the process of respiration, decay, and combustion. This is direct of the opposite balance in nature. Human activities most especially combustion tend to increase in the quantity of carbon-dioxide added to the atmospheric and with time, excess of atmospheric carbon dioxide may lead to phenomena called the "greenhouse effect" these occur when too much heat energy from the sun is retained in the atmosphere.
This results in the global warming of the earth and these affect the balance nature of the earth's ecosystem.

The Water Cycle




The largest quantity of water circulates within the non-living environment. While only a small proportion is recycled through the living components of the ecosystem. Water molecules from the water bodies and the soil evaporates and form the clouds which condense and precipitate into rain and snow that goes back into the soil and water bodies.

Water enters into the biotic component of the ecosystem when the plant absorb water from the soil or the animals take in water from their food and drink. Only a small part of the water absorbed by plant is used for the process of photosynthesis but the larger part is lost through the process of transpiration. Some little quantity is lost during respiration and decay.

DECOMPOSITION IN NATURE

The decomposers are the saprophytic organisms majorly bacteria and fungi which are involved in breaking down the complex organic molecules into simple inorganic molecules.
These are very important in the cycling of nutrients in an ecosystem by connecting the living component. By their action, they bring about decomposition of the dead organism or their excreta or (like feaces and urine by secreting digestive enzymes on their food materials into simple fluid-like Inorganic substances or nutrients which can be absorbed by decomposers but the larger % is lost into the soil water and air. Some Inorganic nutrient are released by the action of the decomposer includes Ammonia, water vapor, sulphate, phosphate, etc.
These Inorganic substances can then be absorbed by the autotrophic organism (i.e photosynthetic, chemosynthetic, green plant) to manufacture energy, rich food that supports life.
Important Of Decomposers

1. Decomposers help in the recycling of nutrients and thus make the nutrient available for the plant to produce energy, rich food that sustain life therefore, the decomposer allows the ecosystem to be a functioning one.
2.  The decomposers prevent the accumulation of the dead bodies and excreta from the living organism.