Energy in Kcal for Each Level
Ecologists often illustrate the flow of energy through ecosystems with an energy pyramid. This diagram has each trophic level which is represented by a block, and the blocks are stacked on top of one another, with the lowest trophic level on the bottom. The width of each block is determined by the amount of energy stored in the organisms at that trophic level. The energy stored by the organisms at each trophic level is about one tenth the energy stored by the organisms in the level , the diagram takes the shape of a pyramid. Energy moves from one trophic level to another level. The path of energy through the trophic levels of an ecosystem is called a food chain. The lowest trophic level of any ecosystem is occupied by the producers, such as plants, algae, and bacteria. Producers use the energy of the sun to build energy-rich carbohydrates. Many producers also absorb nitrogen gas and other key substances from the environment and incorporate them into their biological molecules