wk 3 Energy flow
Energy Flow
Brittney Scarborough
SCI/ 275
January 23, 2015
University of Phoenix
Energy Flow
In figure 4-10, there are three trophic levels. The first level is the producers. The second level is the first consumer and the last level is the second consumer. The plant is the producer, the rabbit is the first consumer and the fox is the second consumer.
A producer absorbs the energy from the sun. It creates its own food by photosynthesis. The first order consumer eats the plant that has the most energy and nutrients. The second order consumer gets their energy and nutrients by eating the first order consumer. There is less energy and nutrients passed through each trophic level.
In figure 4-12, there are two food chain pyramids. In pyramid “A”, grains produce 20,000 kilocalories. A typical diet for a human is 2,000 kilocalories per a day. Feeding a cow 20,000 kilocalories produces 2,000 kilocalories of food. That means there is only enough food to feed one man for one day.
In the second pyramid, the grains produce 20,000 kilocalories. The people are herbivores, so they do not eat meat. Therefore they can just eat the grains. So we would take the 20,000 kilocalories and divide it by 2,000 kilocalories. Mathematically, this would mean there is enough food to feed 10 people a day.
Eating lower on the food chain does inspire me to change my eating habits. If I eat lower on the food chain, I am allowing there to be more food available. This could possibly be enough to feed a homeless or needy person. It would also give me more nutrients that I would not get from eating meat. In the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide is absorbed by the producers, plants, and then passed through the food chain as each species is consumed by the next. The carbon dioxide is then released back into the atmosphere through decomposition and waste. The combustion of coal, fossil fuel, oil and gasoline releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
People should care about the carbon cycle
Brittney Scarborough
SCI/ 275
January 23, 2015
University of Phoenix
Energy Flow
In figure 4-10, there are three trophic levels. The first level is the producers. The second level is the first consumer and the last level is the second consumer. The plant is the producer, the rabbit is the first consumer and the fox is the second consumer.
A producer absorbs the energy from the sun. It creates its own food by photosynthesis. The first order consumer eats the plant that has the most energy and nutrients. The second order consumer gets their energy and nutrients by eating the first order consumer. There is less energy and nutrients passed through each trophic level.
In figure 4-12, there are two food chain pyramids. In pyramid “A”, grains produce 20,000 kilocalories. A typical diet for a human is 2,000 kilocalories per a day. Feeding a cow 20,000 kilocalories produces 2,000 kilocalories of food. That means there is only enough food to feed one man for one day.
In the second pyramid, the grains produce 20,000 kilocalories. The people are herbivores, so they do not eat meat. Therefore they can just eat the grains. So we would take the 20,000 kilocalories and divide it by 2,000 kilocalories. Mathematically, this would mean there is enough food to feed 10 people a day.
Eating lower on the food chain does inspire me to change my eating habits. If I eat lower on the food chain, I am allowing there to be more food available. This could possibly be enough to feed a homeless or needy person. It would also give me more nutrients that I would not get from eating meat. In the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide is absorbed by the producers, plants, and then passed through the food chain as each species is consumed by the next. The carbon dioxide is then released back into the atmosphere through decomposition and waste. The combustion of coal, fossil fuel, oil and gasoline releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
People should care about the carbon cycle
References: Jones & Bartlett. (2015). Environmental Science (9th Ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection.