Food chains are very important for the survival of most species. When only one element is removed from the food chain it can result in extinction of a species in some cases. The foundation of the food chain consists of primary producers
Primary producers, or autotrophs, can use either solar energy or chemical energy to create complex organic compounds, whereas species at higher trophic levels cannot and so must consume producers or other life that itself consumes producers. Because the sun's light is necessary for photosynthesis, most life could not exist if the sun disappeared. Even so, it has recently been discovered that there are some forms of life, chemotrophs, that appear to gain all their metabolic energy from chemosythesis driven by hydrothermal vents, thus showing that some life may not require solar energy to thrive.

If 10,000 J solar energy falls on green plants in a terrestrial ecosystem, what percentage of solar energy will be converted into food energy?

Options

A. 10,000 J
B. 100 J
C. 1000 J
D. It will depend on the type of the terrestrial plant.

Answer

B

Explanation

As we know, only 1% of energy of sunlight that falls on leaves is converted into food energy by plants. So, of 10,000 J is the energy of the sunlight, then (1/100) `xx` 10,000 = 100 J of energy will be converted into food energy.