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๐ฟ Ecosystems
Food Chains & Ecosystems
How energy flows through ecosystems โ producers, consumers, decomposers and trophic levels
UK ๐ 1927 Ecosystems
Key Facts
- 1
Producers (plants) โ Primary consumers (herbivores) โ Secondary consumers โ Tertiary consumers โ Decomposers
- 2
10% energy rule: only 10% of energy transfers between each trophic level; explains why apex predators are rare
- 3
Food web: complex network of interlinked food chains; removing one species can collapse the web (keystone species)
๐ฟ Did you know? Only about 10% of energy transfers between trophic levels โ so a meat-heavy diet requires 10ร more land and water than a plant-based diet
Quick Reference
Category
Ecosystems
Country
๐ UK
Year / Era
1927
About
How energy flows through ecosystems โ producers, consumers, decomposers and trophic levels