| Description |
photo source
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Keywords:
chemical energy, radiant or solar energy, heat energy,
mechanical energy, nuclear energy, electrical energy, energy flow,
photosynthesis, consumers, producers, food webs, primary productivity,
decomposers, renewable energy |
| The sole source of energy for life is the radiant energy of the
sun. Its energy is used in the process of photosynthesis to convert Carbon dioxide and water into
glucose, which is then converted, to perform work, and a vast array of other chemicals in living organisms. The sun thus provides the energy for ecosystems. Energy cycles between primary producers, consumers,
and decomposers. This cycle is the energy flow in ecosystems. To survive in large populations, humans have
switched land use from natural ecosystems to human made systems of agriculture, for crops and rangeland, altering the destination of the solar energy, and changing the energy flow in ecosystems. |
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