Energy Transfer and Global Warming

Energy Transfer

In every ecosystem, energy is transferred along food chains from one trophic level to the next.

The trophic level is the position that an organism occupies in a food chain - what it eats and what eats it.

Energy is absorbed up a food chain, but at each trophic level, this amount of energy decreases rapidly

1st trophic:

• photosynthesis

2nd onwards:

• respiration
• excretion
• movement
• transport

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Global Warming

The Earth is heating up as CO₂levels are increasing – why?

Earth’s atmosphere is an insulating layer

It lets the Sun’s heat in but also stops some going out

Increase in carbon dioxide due to:

• 1. Deforestation (loss in photosynthesis)
• 2. Combustion of fossil fuels

Increase in methane due to:

• 1. livestock farming
• 2. rotting plant material
• 3. drilling for oil and gas