Question

Give reasons Energy flow through an ecosystem is 'one way'.

Answer 1

Sun is ultimate source of energy.

The producers convert solar energy into chemical energy in the form of organic compounds.

The primary consumers (herbivores) derive their nutrition from the producers.

The energy that is captured by the producers does not revert back to the Sun and the energy transferred to the herbivores does not come back to the producers.

It just keeps on moving to the next trophic level in a unidirectional way.

That is why the flow of energy in the food chain is always unidirectional/one way.

Answer 2

The sun is the most important source of energy in an ecosystem green plants of the ecosystem stores some amount of solar energy in the form of food before reaching the decomposers this energy is pass on from one tropic level to next topic level decomposer dissipate some amount of energy in the form of food however no part of energy ever return to the sun and hence and energy flow through an ecosystem is one way.