ENVIRONMENT

ENERGY TRANSFER IN BIOSPHERE

The following are the characteristics of energy transfer in the biosphere:

(i) Energy is supplied by the sun and it is not created in the biosphere. Energy is only converted from one form to another in the biosphere.

(ii) There is a continuous transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next in a food chain.

(iii)At each trophic level, some of the energy is utilized by the organisms for their metabolic activities.

(iv)  At each trophic level, some amount of energy is utilized for the composition of decomposers.

(v) At each trophic level, there is loss of energy, which goes into the environment and remains un-utilized.

(vi) At each trophic level, the amount of energy available is less than that available at the previous level.
ENERGY FLOW CONSIDERED AS UNIDIRECTIONAL
The flow of energy is unidirectional and non cyclic. The energy captured by the autotrophs does not return to the sun, and the energy which passes to the subsequent levels does not come back to autographs. The amount of energy goes on successively decreasing from the producers to the carnivores.