Multiple Choice
Energy in most ecosystems must flow through autotrophs because ______.
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52. Ecosystems
Energy Flow Through Ecosystems
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In an ecosystem, all incoming energy will eventually be __________.
A
stored indefinitely in producers
B
converted into biomass
C
lost as heat
D
recycled back to the Sun
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the concept of energy flow in an ecosystem: Energy enters an ecosystem primarily through sunlight, which is captured by producers (plants, algae, etc.) during photosynthesis.
Recognize that energy transfer between trophic levels is inefficient: Only a portion of the energy is converted into biomass at each level, while the rest is lost as heat due to metabolic processes such as respiration.
Clarify why energy cannot be stored indefinitely in producers: Producers use energy for their own metabolic needs, and some energy is passed on to consumers, but it is not stored permanently.
Explain why energy cannot be recycled back to the Sun: Energy flow in ecosystems is unidirectional, meaning it moves from the Sun to producers and then through consumers, but it cannot return to the Sun.
Conclude that all incoming energy will eventually be lost as heat: This aligns with the second law of thermodynamics, which states that energy transformations are not 100% efficient and result in the dissipation of energy as heat.
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