A really hard question :(

[Blitz3d]

5 - A*farmer decided to grow corn to feed his pigs, which he then sold. He argued that if he collected the pigs droppings and used them to fertilise his corn, he could continue the process forever. Explain the main flaw in the farmers reasoning. What happens to all the energy that enters this ecosystem?

I will rep those who answers this

 

[Yusuke Urameshi]

After a certain amount of years (7, I think), the soil becomes dried up and pretty much worthless. You have to let it sit for a certain number of years until it'd be able to be used again.

Just what I remember from 5th grade.

 

[Twin Steps]

He can't feed his damn piggies cause he's selling the damn corn to get the damn monay so the damn piggies can't do their damn poopie

 

[Erin]

The Plants regain that energy through photosynthesis. Sun--> Plants --> Pigs ---> (Sun + Pig Compost)--> Plant --> Pig etc.

 

[Mypower]

After a certain amount of years (7, I think), the soil becomes dried up and pretty much worthless. You have to let it sit for a certain number of years until it'd be able to be used again.

Just what I remember from 5th grade.

Exactly the soil will lose all its nutrients and it will take time to use the soil again.

 

[Erin]

Exactly the soil will lose all its nutrients and it will take time to use the soil again.

Crop rotation.

 

[Stencil]

He doesn't state buying more pigs or owning anymore pigs. So yeah, he has no pigs.

Damn, I knew I was smart. Scientology 1 - Atheists 0

 

[Goldrinn]

He can't feed his damn piggies cause he's selling the damn corn to get the damn monay so the damn piggies can't do their damn poopie

I could be wrong, but I don't think he's selling the corn. He's selling the pigs after he feeds them.

 

[Howard]

5 - A*farmer decided to grow corn to feed his pigs, which he then sold. He argued that if he collected the pigs droppings and used them to fertilise his corn, he could continue the process forever. Explain the main flaw in the farmers reasoning. What happens to all the energy that enters this ecosystem?

I will rep those who answers this

Wait, is he selling the pigs or the corn? o_o If he's selling the corn he has nothing to feed the pigs, if he's selling the pigs he has nothing to feed therefor that's the flaw I see.

 

[Wang]

Did he sell the corn or the pigs? Either way, his reasoning is flawed because you can't make much money selling corn or pigs.

 

[Stencil]

Wait, is he selling the pigs or the corn? o_o If he's selling the corn he has nothing to feed the pigs, if he's selling the pigs he has nothing to feed therefor that's the flaw I see.

I knew I was right!

 

[key 2 victory is avarice]

Corn alone is not sufficient enough to sustain the growth of healthy pigs. You make it ambiguous, but it seems like he sold all the pigs.

 

[Yusuke Urameshi]

Wait, is he selling the pigs or the corn? o_o If he's selling the corn he has nothing to feed the pigs, if he's selling the pigs he has nothing to feed therefor that's the flaw I see.

He could always reproduce pigs, you know. lol

 

[Erin]

Wait, is he selling the pigs or the corn? o_o If he's selling the corn he has nothing to feed the pigs, if he's selling the pigs he has nothing to feed therefor that's the flaw I see.

He can just ration a portion for the pigs.

 

[Stencil]

He could always reproduce pigs, you know. lol

What it all the pigs are female? Didn't think of that, did ya? Why you so stoopid?

 

[Lyke]

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[Stencil]

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Nope, but I certainly am the magic man.

 

[bn146]

Energy in the ecosystem is used up at each trophic level(90%). Only 10% will be available for the pigs, which isnt enough to meet its requirements

 

[The Fourth]

This is a typical problem encountered in Chemical Engineering. Although I've never seen it applied to an ecosystem, just chemical reactors and whatnot. I'll attempt the problem.

This sounds like your homework, but whatever

Spoiler

Some ecosystems are capable of a perpetual state called a complete recycle. A complete recycle means that 100% of the waste material that is generated can be recycled/fed back into the process and reconstituted indefinitely.

For example taking a grossly simplified food chain with a plant (taking energy from the sun), a herbivore (which feeds on the plants) and carnivores (which feed on the herbivores) and detritivores which feed on all three when they decompose back into the soil illustrates the net movement of mineral nutrients. However in agreement with the laws of thermodynamics the energy is unidirectional and not cyclic, there is no way that energy is going to somehow make its way back to the sun...

Ecosystems execute closed loop recycling where demand for the nutrients (corn) that adds to the growth of biomass (pigs) exceeds supply (fertiliser or pig manure -> leading to more corn) within that system. There are regional and spatial differences in the rates of growth and exchange of materials, where some ecosystems may be in nutrient debt (sinks) whilst others will have extra supply (sources).

Although closed loop ecosystems are possible (there are many that exist in the ocean), the one above is not, as the relative rates of production of corn is much lower than the pigs demand nutrient. Again, since this system is interconnected, without a constant supply of corn, there will be no manure to supply for the next corn batch.

Also, if he is selling off pigs, then his fertiliser supply will drop. Bottom line this is a problem with a lot of variables. The farmers view is overly simplified. The key is in the rates of production, demand and growth of biomass.

 

[Lyke]

This is a typical problem encountered in Chemical Engineering. Although I've never seen it applied to an ecosystem, just chemical reactors and whatnot. I'll attempt the problem.

This sounds like your homework, but whatever

Spoiler

Some ecosystems are capable of a perpetual state called a complete recycle. A complete recycle means that 100% of the waste material that is generated can be recycled/fed back into the process and reconstituted indefinitely.

For example taking a grossly simplified food chain with a plant (taking energy from the sun), a herbivore (which feeds on the plants) and carnivores (which feed on the herbivores) and detritivores which feed on all three when they decompose back into the soil illustrates the net movement of mineral nutrients. However in agreement with the laws of thermodynamics the energy is unidirectional and not cyclic, there is no way that energy is going to somehow make its way back to the sun...

Ecosystems execute closed loop recycling where demand for the nutrients (corn) that adds to the growth of biomass (pigs) exceeds supply (fertiliser or pig manure -> leading to more corn) within that system. There are regional and spatial differences in the rates of growth and exchange of materials, where some ecosystems may be in nutrient debt (sinks) whilst others will have extra supply (sources).

Although closed loop ecosystems are possible (there are many that exist in the ocean), the one above is not, as the relative rates of production of corn is much lower than the pigs demand nutrient. Again, since this system is interconnected, without a constant supply of corn, there will be no manure to supply for the next corn batch.

Also, if he is selling off pigs, then his fertiliser supply will drop. Bottom line this is a problem with a lot of variables. The farmers view is overly simplified. The key is in the rates of production, demand and growth of biomass.

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