Energy flow

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Energy flowsearch for term: The flow of energy in an ecosystem from producers to users. Energy on Earth (in most ecosystems) is derived from the sun, which energizes plants to convert inorganic nutrients into plant tissue (photosynthesis); those plants feed (i.e., energize) animals, which feed other animals, etc. There is some loss of energy each time it is transferred—for instance, only a small percentage of sunlight that strikes plants is used by the plant for photosynthesis; and animals can’t digest every particle of plant or animal they consume. A constant input of new energy from sunlight is required to continue the energy flow on Earth; energy is not completely recycled the way nutrients are. See also nutrient cycles and food chain. Adapted from Marietta College Department of Biology and Environmental Science. 2009. Biomes of the World—Ecology Pages. Environmental Biology—Ecosystems. http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/ecosystems.htm.