Suppose 2000 J of solar energy is incident on green vegetation. According to the 10% law of Lindemann, determine the values of A, B, and C.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) - A – 20 J, B – 2 J, C – 0.2 J
Only about 10% is stored at higher trophic level and the remaining 90% is lost in respiration, decomposition and waste in the form of heat. Suppose 2000 J of solar energy is incident on green vegetation. The latter having about 1% efficiency, trap about 20 J of energy and convert it into chemical energy by photosynthesis.
The remaining would be lost to the environment. The herbivore that feeds on producers get 10% of the energy stored in plants, i.e. 2 J. The remaining 18 J are lost to the environment. Carnivores feeding on herbivores would be able to store only 0.2 J of energy as flow.