How does the law of thermodynamics relate to the ecological pyramid?
1 Answer
The law of thermodynamics shape the ecological pyramid into a structure where each level is only 10% of the level below it.
Explanation:
Energy is always lost as energy is moved from one level to another. This is the second law of thermodynamics which states that everything in the universe moves from high energy to low energy from high information to low information, from complex structures to less complex structures.
Plants get energy from the sun. Plants use 90% of the energy to maintain plant life. This leaves only 10% of the energy to be passed on to animals that eat plants called herbivores, or first level consumers.
First level consumers use 90% of the energy that they get from plants to maintain their life functions. This leaves only 10% of the energy to be passed on to animals that eat animals called carnivores or second level consumers.
The loss of energy due to the second law of thermodynamics results in a pyramid with a large base and a 10% ratio between levels.
