Trace sunlight capture by autotrophs, conversion to chemical energy and one-way transfer through trophic levels with respiratory losses in IB Biology SL C4.2.2.
Compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are used to supply and store energy.
Explain how the energy supply in an ecosystem is dependent on sunlight.
a. plants/autotrophs use sunlight in photosynthesis;
b. light energy is captured by chloroplasts/chlorophyll;
c. converting light energy to chemical energy;
d. this converts inorganic molecules into organic molecules;
e. plants (other photosynthetic organisms) are producers;
f. plants/producers are eaten by primary consumers/animals/heterotrophs;
g. energy transfers through a food chain/web/trophic levels;
h. at each stage of the food chain/web/trophic levels energy is lost (as heat/respiration);
i. about 10 % of the energy reaches the next trophic level;
j. energy flow being linear/one-direction/not cyclic;
d. Accept word equation or chemical equation for photosynthesis.
f. Can be shown in a labelled drawing.
7 max