Give reason to justify the following:
(a) The existence of decomposers is essential in a biosphere.
(b) Flow of energy in a food chain is unidirectional.
(a) Decomposers break down complex organic substances (dead remains and waste products
of oranism) into simpler inorganic substances that can be absorbed by the plants. They are essential for the proper functioning of an ecosystem.
- Decomposers plays an important role in the cycling of materials in the biosphere.
- By decomposing dead bodies of plants and animals they help in cleaning the environment.
- They replenish the soil naturally.
(b) In the ecosystem, energy flows from one trophic level to the next trophic level of the food chain. Energy flows from producers, i.e., green plants to the consumers. It does not flow from the last consumers to its previous consumers and so an. The energy captured by the autotrophs does not go back to the solar input. Thus, the energy does not flow back from consumers to the producers. Hence, the flow of energy in a food chain is unidirectional.