Biological Communities
Community Energy Energy enters biotic communities via photosynthesis transferred between organisms in feeding used for growth, energy via respiration
Food Webs The biota of an ecosystem are tied together in complex networks – food webs - that reflect feeding relationships
Eco pyramids energy transfer numbers of organisms A large base needed to support the levels above amount of biomass
Energy transfer Inefficient: only a small fraction of food converted to ATP Where is the remainder? ~10% stored in tissues (biomass) waste products Converted to heat (respiration)