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infoWhy this? Energy transfer and nutrient cycles explain how ecosystems sustain biomass production despite energy losses and finite supplies of essential elements. Distinguishing one-way energy flow from nutrient recycling helps us evaluate food webs, agricultural productivity, and environmental impacts such as those associated with fertiliser use.

scheduleWhy now? Photosynthesis and respiration provide the mechanisms behind biomass production and energy loss, while population ecology supplies the context of interacting organisms. Bringing these together allows us to calculate transfer efficiencies and analyse nutrient movement at ecosystem level.