CBSE Class 10 Answered

Energy flows through the ecosystem in a linear, unidirectional path. In all ecosystems, energy enters the system as sunlight. Solar energy is transformed into chemical energy by the process of photosynthesis, and is stored in plant tissue and then transformed into mechanical and heat forms during metabolic activities. Producers trap about 1% of the sun's energy in photosynthesis. This energy then passes on to the other consumers like herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. Large amount of energy is lost as heat at each trophic level. As the energy moves progressively through the various trophic levels, it is no longer available to the previous level.