Question

It may be said that it each week it takes 8000 pounds of grass to feed a small herd of zebras (which together weighs 3000 pounds). These zebras will sustain a group of lions, which together weigh 1000 pounds. Why does it take more energy stored in one level of this simple food chain to sustain the next level of the food chain? Your answer lies in the laws of thermodynamics.

Answer 1

Sol.

There should be more energy stored in one level of this simple food chain to sustain the next level of the food chain because when energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next level,as little as as 10 percent of energy is transferred. Rest is lost largely through various metabolic processes as heat.

As we know, first law of thermodynamics which is a version of law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed but it can be transformed from one form to the other. In this context a small amount of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next and rest are lost as heat.

Also,in this context, second law of thermodynamics states that each organism needs a constant supply of energy to synthesise the molecules they require to counteract the universal tendency toward increasing disorderliness and this energy comes to plants from Sun and then energy is transferred from plants to Zebras and then to Lions.