In an ecosystem, energy in addition to materials travels from one trophic level to the following. Trophic (food) level is that the level at which an organism feeds in the organic phenomenon. The primary trophic level is formed of. producers; the second of primary consumers than on.


1. Flow of Energy:

      The flow of energy in many trophic levels of the ecosystem is unidirectional. The subsequent is an. Overview of the flow of energy in an ecosystem The Sun is that the primary source of energy for all ecosystems. Producers get solar power and transform.it into energy by the method of photosynthesis. They store this energy in their tissues and. also transform it into mechanical and warm energy during their metabolic activities.

      The energy in producers’ tissues flows to herbivores when makers are eaten. Herbivores transform it into mechanical and warm energy during their metabolic activities and store the remainder in their tissues. Carnivores eat herbivores and find energy. They also use it for his or her body activities. and store the remainder in their tissues. Afterward the death of makers and consumers, the energy stored. in their tissues are on the job by decomposers.

     The storage and expenditure of energy in an ecosystem is in accordance with the essential law of thermodynamics i.e. ‘energy can neither be created nor wiped out but will be transformed from one form into some other’. 

In an ecosystem there's,

• Constant flow or transfer of energy from the Sun through with producers to consumers and decomposers.

• a major decrease in useful energy during the transfer of energy at each trophic level. 


 Flow of Materials

       The materials ensure one trophic level to the subsequent by means of food chains and food webs. An organic phenomenon may be a series of organisms within an ecosystem, within which each organism feeds on They feed the one before it and by the one after it. For instance, the following may be an organic phenomenon in an. ecosystem:

      A plant (producer) often forms the base of the organic phenomenon. it's eaten by a primary consumer, Which is preyed upon by a secondary consumer? A tertiary consumer could also eat the secondary consumer. An organic phenomenon can therefore be represented as,

      An organic phenomenon involves a nutritive interaction among the biotic components of an ecosystem. Usually, there are 4 or 5 trophic levels. Shorter food provides greater available energy and vice versa.

       In nature, food chains are very complex. The united organisms could also be the food source of many other organisms. Thus, rather than a straightforward linear organic phenomenon, there's a web-like structure formed by these interlinked food chains. Such interconnected food chains collectively make a ‘food web’. We can define the food web as a network of food chains that are interconnected to several trophic levels.


3. Ecological Pyramids:

       In 1927, Charles Sutherland Elton (an English ecologist) developed the concept of ecological pyramids. 

       He noted that the animals present at the start of the organic phenomenon are abundant while the animals present at the top of the organic phenomenon are fewer. The ecological pyramid may be defined as, “A representation of the number of people or amount of biomass or energy present in various trophic levels of a food chain”. Ecological pyramids are of three types. Here, we'll study. two of them.


1. Pyramid of Numbers:

      It is the graphic representation of the number of people per unit area at various trophic levels. Usually, producers are present in sizable amounts, primary consumers are in lesser number, Secondary consumers are fewer, and so on. So, the producers are maximum. in number but of the smallest size, while the tertiary consumers are larger in size but lesser.


2. Pyramid of Biomass:

      It is the graphic internal representation of biomass present per unit area at different trophic levels. In a terrestrial ecosystem, the most biomass occurs in producers, and there's a progressive decrease in biomass from lower to higher trophic levels.


4. Biogeochemical Cycles:

       We know that environment is that the source of materials for all living organisms. Environment provides. Bio elements are employed by organisms for his or her bodies and metabolism. The materials are. Continuously recycled between organisms and environment. Biogeochemical cycles are cyclic. pathways through which substantially move from environment to organisms and back to the environment.


1. Carbon Cycle: 

       The carbon atom is that the principal building block of the many styles of biomolecules. Carbon is found as graphite and diamond in nature. It also occurs as carbonic acid gas in the atmosphere.

      A major source of carbon for the living world is carbonic acid gas present in the atmosphere and water. Fossil fuels like peat, coal, gas, and petroleum also contain carbon. Carbonates of Earth’s crust also bring about dioxide.

       The major process that brings carbon from the atmosphere or water into the living world is photosynthesis. Producers absorb carbonic acid gas from the atmosphere and convert it into organic compounds. In this way, carbon becomes a component of the body of producers. This carbon enters food chains and is passed to herbivores, carnivores, and decomposers.

     It released carbon dioxide back to the environment by respiration of producers and consumers. It is also released by the decomposition of organic wastes material and dead bodies by decomposers. The burning of wood and fossil fuels also adds a great deal of carbonic acid gas into the atmosphere.


2. Nitrogen Cycle:

      Nitrogen is a very important component of many biomolecules, like proteins and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). The atmosphere is that the reservoir of free gaseous nitrogen. Living organisms cannot pick up this gaseous nitrogen straight from the atmosphere (except for nitrogen-fixing bacteria). it's to be converted into nitrates to be utilized by plants. Nitrogen cycling involves several stages:


a- Formation of Nitrates:

It is done in the subsequent ways:


i. biological process:

       The conversion of nitrogen gas into nitrates is named the organic process. It occurs in the following ways.

• Electrical storm and lightning convert atmospheric gaseous nitrogen to oxides of nitrogen. These Oxides dissolve in water and form acid and acid. The acids successively combine with. other salts to provide ‘nitrates’. it's called an atmospheric, biological process.

• Some bacteria even have the flexibility to remodel gaseous nitrogen into nitrates. it's called the biological organic process. a number of these nitrogen-fixing bacteria live as symbionts and plenty of are free-living.

      Nitrogen fixation is additionally drained industries. In the industrial biological processes, hydrogen is. Combined with atmospheric nitrogen under air mass and temperature. It produces. ammonia which is further converted into nitrate.


ii. Ammonification and Nitrification:

      Is the breakdown of the proteins of dead organisms and nitrogenous wastes (urea, acid etc.) to ammonia known as Ammonification. it's done by ammonifying bacteria. After the formation, Of ammonia, it's converted into nitrites and nitrates. It's called nitrification and is completed by nitrifying bacteria. First, bacteria convert into nitrites ammonia (e.g. Nitrosomonas). Other bacteria (e.g. Nitrobacter then converted into nitrates the nitrites).


b- Assimilation:

      The nitrates formed by the above processes are absorbed by plants and are utilized for creating proteins, etc. Animals take nitrogenous compounds from plants. The use of nitrates by organisms is termed assimilation.

c- Denitrification

      It is a process within which nitrates and nitrites are reduced to nitrogen gas by denitrifying bacteria. By this process, the nitrogen is returned to the atmosphere.