Module 06: movement of energy

Module 6: Movement of energy

Biosphere-all life

Producer (also primary producer) gets energy from sun or heat directly, also known as autotrophexample: grass

Photosynthesis: CO2 + water + energy (heat or light) -> sugars (CHO)Reverse process is respiration: Sugars + O2 -> energy + CO2 + water

Screen Shot 2022-12-02 at 3.38.24 PM.png
Screen Shot 2022-12-02 at 3.38.24 PM.png

Anaerobic respiration (e.g. bacteria) don't use O2, less efficient, older primitive source of energy (pre-oxygen)

Consumer (heterotroph) consumes other primary autotrophs
  • Primary consumers eat plants (e.g. herbivores)
  • Secondary consumers eat them (carnivores)
  • Tertiary consumers eat other carnivores (algae->zooplankton->fish->eagles)
Trophe = "nourishment"Trophic levels = food levels, see also food web
  • Scavenger-eats dead stuff
  • Detritovore-eats dead stuff that is decaying
  • Decomposers-break down into basic elements
GPP gross primary productivity= Total amount of solar energy into the system: like gross income in a businesse.g. all of the money coming into your business
NPP net primary productivity = GPP minus respiration (think of Maui onions):gross income-expenses=net income
Biomass-total mass of all living things in an ecosystem-odd fact: rain forest soil is the lowest in nutrients and biomass-why?
Standing crop-total plant biomass (e.g. forest)Efficiency is low (around 10%)
Trophic pyramid: 10x reduction in energy for each level (why?)-vegetarians vs. meat eatersSo, carnivores (us, wolves) are eating harvesting devices (cows) for autotrophs (grasses):

Screen Shot 2022-12-02 at 3.38.31 PM.png
Screen Shot 2022-12-02 at 3.38.31 PM.png


Not very efficient, unless you can't digest grass, or it takes too much energy to walk around all day. This IS, however a good argument for global sustainable survival, as the sun will not go away soon, and as long as we have arable (farmable) land to grow plants, we could survive with a global population of 8-10 billion.But we'd need access to fresh water...Recall: energy->water->food->culture

Screen Shot 2022-12-02 at 3.38.37 PM.png
Screen Shot 2022-12-02 at 3.38.37 PM.png


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Revision #2
Created 2026-09-29 15:57:58 UTC by Admin
Updated 2026-09-29 16:18:59 UTC by Admin