Category: Ecosystems

Kelp forests are one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet, absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. A key part of this process involves synthesizing carbohydrates, leading many to wonder: does kelp make sugar, and if so, what kind?

As heterotrophs, fungi are unable to produce their own food like plants, meaning they must absorb nutrients from other sources to survive. This fundamental difference from both plants and animals is key to understanding their role in ecosystems. So, what food do fungi need to survive?

Marine phytoplankton account for nearly half of the global net primary productivity, and their consumption of essential elements is a primary process that removes the nutrients from the surface layer of the ocean. This biological activity initiates a complex chain of events that moves nutrients from the sunlit surface to the deep ocean, influencing global climate and marine food webs.

Up to 90% of the energy is lost between trophic levels, but nutrients are constantly recycled in a process vital to all life. This cyclical movement is the essence of what is a nutrient transfer process, a complex system of ecological recycling that keeps essential elements available for organisms across ecosystems.

Carnivores, which make up a key trophic level in ecosystems, are consumers who only eat animals. This dietary specialization gives them a unique set of physical and behavioral adaptations, from sharp teeth and claws to highly developed hunting instincts. They play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature by regulating the populations of other animals.

Over 99% of all animal species are invertebrates, with a vast diversity in their feeding habits and dietary needs. This astonishing variety in the animal kingdom is mirrored by the different types of diets animals have evolved to thrive on, each tied to specific physical and behavioral adaptations.

According to biology, all living organisms, from the smallest bacteria to the largest whales, require a constant input of energy to sustain life. This fundamental need explains why do living things need food, providing the essential fuel and raw materials for every function, from cellular processes to physical movement.

Approximately 99% of all life on Earth relies on the sun's energy. To answer where the energy in food originally came from, one must look at how plants and other organisms capture and convert this solar power, forming the foundation of nearly every food web.

Approximately 90% of the available energy is lost at each step of a food chain, a principle that dictates the flow of life through every ecosystem on Earth. This sequence of feeding relationships is not just about who eats whom, but rather the fundamental transfer of essential resources.

Over 95% of a plant's biomass is made from just a few elements, including carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, highlighting the stark contrast in nutrient acquisition across species. This vast difference is at the heart of the fundamental question: How do they get their nutrients? The answer reveals the incredible diversity of life on Earth, from the smallest bacteria to the largest mammals.