Ecosystems and Conservation Biology Chapter 36 Part 2
36.2 Energy flows through ecosystems
Productivity of Ecosystems Only about 1% of the sun’s energy is harnessed by photosynthesis Still enough to produce Earth’s biomass –Organic material
Productivity of Ecosystems Primary productivity –Rate at which producers in an ecosystem build biomass
Ecological Pyramids Follows transfer of energy through ecosystem
Energy Pyramids Emphasizes energy loss from one trophic level to the next In general, only 10% transferred each time
Biomass Pyramid Represents actual biomass (dry mass of all organisms) in each trophic level
Pyramid of Numbers Number of individual organisms in each trophic levels