Energy flux in distinct Ecosystems

Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos

PhD in Natural Science
Associate Professor Federal University of ABC (UFABC)
November 2017

This report discusses the energy flux in distinct ecosystems. These fluxes show
relationships among different biotic and abiotic elements, as well as how the ecosystems balance
is maintained. Such evaluation evidence the human impact on these fluxes, as well as how we
can benefit from them as ecosystem services.

The main energy input in ecosystems comes from photosynthesis, and therefore the
equatorial ecosystems benefit from stronger and stable sunlight, improving their Gross Primary
Productivity (GPP). Other relevant factors affecting GPP in distinct ecosystems are nutrients and
water availability for primary producers. However, vegetation in areas with higher temperature
and/or lower relative humidity spend more energy for respiration and transpiration, decreasing its
Net Primary Productivity (NPP).

Considering these various factors, the ecosystems with higher NPP are tropical rain
forests (2200 g m-2y-1 of biomass) and swamps and marsh (2000 g m-2y-1) (Whittaker, 1975).
Temperate forests, boreal forests, savanna, grasslands and cultivated lands present intermediate
values, while tundra and deserts have the lower NPP. In this context, the ongoing deforestation
of rain forests and drainage of wetlands have changed the global balance of energy flux in
ecosystems.

The energy imports from external organic matter is relevant for some ecosystems,
especially aquatic ones. Lakes and estuaries ecosystems rely on the incoming organic matter
brought through rivers, increasing ecosystem productivity. On the other hand, the export of energy
through dead organic matter dissolved in water or permanently buried (to become fossil fuels)
may be negligible for some ecosystems, but not for others.

Nonetheless, the energy balance of primary producers is just the first step in the energy
flow of the whole ecosystem. In grassland ecosystems, a great part of the NPP may be consumed
by grazers, while in temperate forests there is a significant amount of biomass that is kept stored
as woodland. Ecosystems that still have not reached the successional climax also tend to
accumulate more biomass, leading to a positive Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP), while in
mature ecosystems NEP would tend towards zero.
 The control of herbivore population by predators can also change the amount of energy
transmitted through the plant-herbivore trophic path. Ecosystems with cycles of increase and
decline in herbivore and predator populations will also face cycles in the energy flux patterns. The
eventual or cyclic accumulation of energy in dead biomass may become fuel for firestorms in
seasonally dry ecosystems. Therefore, such kind of energy flux is very important for fire
managers.

The role of decomposers is also different for each ecosystem. In equatorial regions, the
decomposing rate is faster. On the other hand, in colder climates, as well in wetlands, the energy
can be stored for long time as dead organic matter under the ground, before decomposition.

Nowadays, humans collect 23.8% of plant NPP (Halbert et al., 2007), thus managing a
great part of the energy flows in the terrestrial ecosystems. The evaluation of energy fluxes in
ecosystems is also important for understanding the energy needs and impacts of animals on
ecosystems, in contexts of environmental conservation, pest control and extractive economy
(such as hunting, fishing and coppicing). In addition, the climate change caused by anthropogenic
greenhouse emissions is also changing the energy balance of the ecosystems diversely
throughout the planet.

In conclusion, it was possible to understand that various factors, such as solar radiation,
nutrients and water, increase or hamper the energy production in ecosystems. The report also
showed that flux of energy in the trophic network also changes in each ecosystem. It was also
discussed why this kind of study is important for many human activities, such as extractive
economy, pest control, fire management and agriculture.

References:

Haberl, H. et al. (2007) Quantifying and mapping the human appropriation of net primary
production in earths terrestrial ecosystems, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
vol. 104, pp. 12942-7

Whittaker, R.H. (1975) Communities and Ecosystems, London and New York, Macmillan
Publishing Co.