ENERGY FLOW IN A LAWN ECOSYSTEM
This is a model of how energy might flow through a lawn ecosystem.
40,000 kJ of light energy falls on the producers in a single day. Of this amount, _____ % is captured by the process of photosynthesis in the grass plants,The remaining ____% of the energy falling on the lawn is ______either by ______from the leaves into space agin or being used to evaporate water from the leaves ( a process called ______) The lawn grass captures ------kJ. Most of this is used by the grass for ______.
_____% of the captured energy is used up in this way.. Of the remaining captured energy, 480 kJ or ___% is passed to the ______in the soil. The last _____kJ is eaten by herbivores.
The energy obtained by herbivores is “spent” in the following way: 220 kJ or _____% is used in ______. _____% passes to decomposers and the last _____% goes to the ______
Finally the carnivores receive _____kJ from the ______. 80% is used in ______and the remaining ______% goes to the ______.
AN ENERGY BALANCE SHEET FOR THE LAWN ECOSYSTEM IN ONE DAY
A Producers
Total Energy captured by photosynthesis in one day ______
Energy expended in respiration ______
Energy lost to decomposers ______
Energy passed to herbivores ______
Total energy lost by producers in one day. ______
B Herbivores
Total Energy obtained from producers in one day ______
Energy expended in respiration ______
Energy lost to decomposers ______
Energy passed to carnivores ______
Total energy lost by herbivores in one day ______
C Carnivores
Total Energy obtained from herbivores in one day ______
Energy expended in respiration ______
Energy lost to decomposers ______
Energy passed to carnivores ______
Total energy lost by carnivores in one day ______
ENERGY CAN BE NEITHER CREATED NOR DESTROYED (BUT CAN BE CHANGED FROM ONE FORM TO ANOTHER) THE ENERGY THAT IS RELEASED IN RESPIRATION BY THE ORGANISMS OF THE COMMUNITY IS USED FOR A NUMBER OF LIVING PROCESSES EG GROWTH AND REPAIR, MOVEMENT, REPRODUCTION, KEEPING WARM, EXCHANGING GASES, BUT ULTIMATELY IT ENDS UP AS HEAT AND CANNOT BE REUSED BY THE PLANTS IN PHOTOSYNTHESI – SO – ENERGY FLOWS – IT CANNOT BE RECYCLED.