Energy Transfer in Food Chains

 All life relies on energy to carry out life processes on the left is a simple food chain that one might find in Missouri. The arrows indicate the energy transfer that occurs between different trophic levels. Pictured at left is a red maple just beginning to bud out in my yard. The red maple is a primary producer. All trees use the sun's energy to undergo photosynthesis.  The red maple is one of the species that the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly finds attractive. The red maple is a source of food and shelter for the Swallowtail.

With so much evidence of depleting natural resources, toxic waste, climate change, irreparable harm to our food chain and rapidly increasing instances of natural disasters, why do we keep perpetuating the problem? Why do we continue marching at the same alarming beat?

Yehuda Berg

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I believe this may be a male swallowtail(middle photo). He was fiercely battling high winds yesterday in Joplin, Missouri. When he was forced by the wind to alight on this yew bush I was able to get a nice photo. The yellow Swallowtail butterfly would be considered a primary consumer. The Eastern Grey Squirrel (bottom) is one of the predators of the yellow swallowtail butterfly. I took this photo at Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City, MO a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, the zoom on my iphone does not take a very high quality picture.

I will end this blog with this thought....

"With so much evidence of depleting natural resources, toxic wastes, climate change, irreparable harm to our food chain and rapidly increases chances of natural disasters, why do we keep perpetuating the problem? Why do we continue marching at the same alarming beat?" Yehuda Burg