Question

Give reason: Flow of nutrients through the ecosystem is cyclic.

Answer 1

The ecosystem is a geographical area where plants, animals and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to create a bubble of life. Ecosystems contain biotic or living parts, as well as abiotic factors or non-living parts.

Complete answer:
The producers are converting solar energy into chemical energy in the form of organic compounds. The primary consumers (herbivores) derive their food from the producers. According to the law on energy transfer, only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the other.

Thus, the energy captured by the producers does not return to the Sun and the energy transferred to the herbivores does not return to the producers. It just keeps moving to the next trophic level in a one-way direction. That's why the flow of energy in the food chain is always one-way.

The cyclic flow of nutrients within the ecosystem is called the biogeochemical cycle. The continuous transfer of nutrients that are necessary for the growth of organisms takes place from abiotic to biotic and biotic factors to abiotic factors in the ecosystem. The nutrient cycle operates continuously through the biosphere formed by the lithosphere, the atmosphere and the hydrosphere.

The recycling of these biogeochemicals depends on the level of energy transfer in the ecosystem. Any kind of disturbance at any level of these cycles affects the ecosystems and the balance of nature. There should therefore be a balance in the various biogeochemical cycles.

The flow of nutrients through the ecosystem is cyclic as nutrients move from one trophic level to another trophic level all the way up and down.

The cyclic flow of nutrients occurs in the following manner:
1)Producers/green plants that are present at the lowest trophic level make nutrients using the energy of the sun through the process of photosynthesis.
2)These nutrients produced by the producers are passed on to primary consumers/herbivores.
3)Secondary consumers feed on primary consumers, resulting in the shift of nutrients from primary consumers to secondary consumers.
4)Tertiary and quaternary consumers also obtain nutrients from one or all of the lower trophic levels.
5)These nutrients are finally transferred back to the soil from higher trophic levels through decomposition. The process of decomposition is performed by organisms such as bacteria and fungi.
Note: The ecosystem functions are as follows:
1)It regulates essential ecological processes, promotes life-saving systems and ensures stability.
2)It is also responsible for the circulation of nutrients between biotic and abiotic components.
3)It maintains a balance between the various trophic levels in the ecosystem.
4)The minerals cycle through the biosphere.