Energy flow is an important aspect of the ecosystem which reveals interdependence between the biotic and the abiotic components of ecosystems. The sun is the main source of energy and from it other forms of energy are derived and transformed into various uses. It is only green plants that have the ability to fix the radiant energy of the sun and convert it to chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. For this reason, plants are referred to as
producers in the energy flow of the ecosystem. Animals which do not have this ability and which depend and feed on the plants for their energy requirements are called
consumers. There are three types of consumers in the energy flow,
1. The herbivores like sheep and battle which feed on green plants.
2. The carnivores like lions and wolves which feed on the herbivores and
3. The omnivores like man, which feed on both plants and animals.
When energy passes from plants (producers) to the animals (consumers), and from one type of consumer (herbivores) to another (carnivores) within the community in the ecosystem we have the flow of energy. The term food chain describes the consumption of one organism by another in succession. It is the link between the herbivores that feed on green plants and carnivores that consume herbivores.
