Mridul Bora Animal Ecology & Wildlif Biology Gauhati University
Laws of Thermodynamics in an Ecosystem
Dec 18, 2014
There are two laws of thermodynamics. On the other hand in our universe sun is the source of energy. Green plants are the only producer. Plants make their own food by sunlight with the help of water and carbon dioxide. Other animals get energy by consuming green plants, plant products and other animals. Hence the energy is cycle. So the ecosystem proves the two laws of thermodynamics.
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Mridul Bora
Animal Ecology & Wildlif Biology
Gauhati University
Energy Flow in an Ecosystem
Laws of thermodynamics describes the energy flow in an Ecosystem.
1st law of thermodynamics- Energy can not be created or destroyed, only transformed from one step to another.
2nd law of thermodynamics- In the path of energy transformation some energy loss in the form of heat and the entropy increases.
1st law of thermodynamics in Ecosystem
Energy From Sun to Plant
Chlorophyll of green plants traps the light energy from sun and produce food with the help of water, CO2 and minerals.
Energy users
Producers– Green plants use light energy (sunlight) to produce food (chemical energy).
Primary consumers– Feed on herbivores and get energy from plants (Carnivores).
Secondary consumers– Feed on primary consumers and get energy form them.
Tertiary consumers- Feed on secondary consumers and get energy.
Decomposers- Break down dead or decaying organism (decomposition) and get energy.
Food chain or food web support the 1st law of thermodynamics
Energy Recycling
Plants or Producers 1st tropic
level
Energy Sun
The energy house
Energy Consumers 2nd tropic
level
Decomposers 3rd tropic
level
Energy
Energy Soil, Air, Water
with matter Heat
2nd Law of Thermodynamics
In the path of energy
transformation some
energy loss in the form of heat and the entropy increases.
The Path Way of Energy Loss
Not all food consumed by heterotrophs (consumers) is transformed into biomass.
At each tropic level about 90% of energy is loss to perform metabolic activities.
Entropy increases.
What is Entropy?
According to Great Physicist Peter Higgs, Entropy is the every types of error or unrestrained activities of a system.
Different Forms of entropy among organisms
What happens to the energy in the end?
Solar energy is used by plants for food production. That energy transformed from green plants to decomposers in different steps. In the energy transformation path, energy is lost into space in the form of heat. That is used in endothermic reaction(an animal that is dependent on the internal generation of heat).
Conclusion
Sun is the ultimate energy source of ecosystem (excluding chemoautotrophs).
Energy transformed from sun to decomposers.
In each tropic level maximum energy is released as heat.
Ecosystem obeys 1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics.
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