Oct 07 2010
2nd law??
Can someone explain to me the 2nd law of thermodynamics and how it applies to the transfer of energy between each trophic level?
The definition of the 2nd law of thermodynamics is that the nature of energy tends to change from a more-ordered state to a less-ordered state; entropy increases. But how does this relate to how energy moves through the tropic levels?
As energy is passed on from one tropic level to another, the “Iron Rule” states that 90% of the energy transferred is lost as heat. In the case of ecological pyramids, entropy is measured as heat. So as a lower tropic level is consumed by a higher tropic level, most of the energy becomes heat energy because of energy’s tendency to become less-ordered.
remember cellular respiration…loss of heat when making ATP