Distinguish between energy flow and nutrient cycling within an

ecosystem

Energy Flow
Where does the energy that flows in the ecosystem come from?

The energy that powers most ecosystems comes from the sun. The flow of energy usually begins
with light energy captured by autotrophs during photosynthesis. Autotrophs are green plants
algae and cheimiosynthethic bacteria.

How does energy flows in an ecosystem

Energy Flows through an ecosystem in the following ways:

Through trophic levels - trophic levels are feedings levels which contain organisms within an
ecosystem that obtain their energy from a common source. The major trophic levels are:
producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumer and decomposers.

*Producers- Producers produce food for themselves for example autotrophs as mentioned above

Other organisms may eat producers and acquire energy

*Consumers- consumers are organisms that rely on other organisms for its energy and food; as they
take in food they acquire energy and thus it is transferred from the producer to the consumer.

Terms associated with consumers

Herbivores (primary consumers) eg. cow

Carnivores (secondary and tertiary consumers)

Omnivores (secondary and tertiary consumers)

Detritivores feed on plant and animal remains and other dead matter example earthworms and mites

Decomposers break down organic matter examples include bacteria and fungi

*Decomposers as they consume they break down wastes and dead organism and acquire energy and at
the same time return nutrients to the soil.
 Nutrient cycling
What are nutrients?

Nutrients are the building blocks of organic molecules. They contain the elements required to make
those organic molecules. Sometimes they are called mineral nutrients. Autotrophic organisms absorb
these elements in simple, inorganic form. Unlike energy, there is a finite quantity of these elements
available in the biosphere to organisms. If they are not recycled then life comes to a complete standstill

Why does energy flow but nutrients cycle?

The energy that is supplied by the Sun in the form of light never makes it back to the sun and
therefore is said to flow through ecosystems along the many steps in the food chain (trophic
levels) . Nutrients Cycle, on the other hand, is recycled within an ecosystem as there are finite
quantities of the nutrients in an ecosystem.

The flow of energy through an ecosystem can therefore be said to be linear and the flow of
nutrients a cycle. The nutrients supply in an ecosystem is self-sustaining because nutrients cycle
between the biotic and abiotic components.

Nitrates, carbon and water are continually recycled and made available for use by organisms.