Ecosystem Nutrition and Energy Flow

Bacteria and fungi are the primary decomposers in ecosystems, breaking down dead organic matter and recycling nutrients back into the soil - hence called 'scavengers of the earth'. Animals, soil/water, and birds are not primarily scavengers in the ecological sense.

Omnivores are animals that consume both plant and animal matter. Unlike herbivores (which eat only plants) or carnivores (which eat only meat), omnivores have digestive systems adapted to process both types of food. Common examples include humans, bears, and pigs.

Zoo-plankton form the second trophic level in a freshwater lake. Zooplanktons are primary consumers.

Decomposers are biotic or living factors

Bird is a secondary consumer in a grazing food chain.

Common detritivore in ecosystem are fungus and bacteria.

Percentage of energy that can be stored by a herbivore after feeding on green plants is 10%.

Transpiration (Option C) is the process of water loss from plant leaves through stomata. It significantly affects local temperature (cooling effect) and influences rainfall patterns through the water cycle (returning water vapor to atmosphere). Translocation (A) is sugar transport. Transformation (B) is a general term. Transduction (D) typically refers to signal transmission or genetic engineering, not environmental processes.

The ecological 10% rule states that only about 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next. Autotrophs (producers) = 100 kg. Primary consumers (herbivores) = 10 kg (10% of 100). Secondary consumers (carnivores that eat herbivores) = 1 kg (10% of 10). However, secondary consumers that eat primary consumers would be at the third trophic level, receiving 10% of 10 kg = 1 kg. But the question asks for secondary consumers directly consuming primary consumers, which would be 10% of the producer biomass.

Vultures are known as scavengers and they help in the recycling of nature by eating dead animals.

Parasitic nutrition is a mode of nutrition where organism (known as a parasite) lives on the body surface or inside the body of another type of organism and obtains nutrition directly from the body of the other organism (known as a host).

An ecological pyramid of productivity is often more useful, showing the production or turnover of biomass at each trophic level. Instead of showing a single snapshot in time, productivity pyramids show the flow of energy through the food chain. Typical units would be grams per meter²  per year or calories per meter²  per year. As with the others, this graph begins with producers at the bottom and places higher trophic levels on top.

Xerosere is the sequence of successional stages in dry habitats.

The incorrect statement is (c) because primary consumers are heterotrophs, not autotrophs. Autotrophs (like plants) produce their own food through photosynthesis, while primary consumers are organisms that feed on autotrophs. The other statements are generally accurate regarding ecological concepts.

The correct path of energy flow in an ecosystem is producers – herbivores – carnivores – decomposers.