Editing Food Webs and Trophic Dynamics (section)

== <span style="color: #FFFFFF;">Understanding</span> ==
Trophic dynamics are understood through '''Energy Loss''' and '''Feedback Loops'''.

'''1. The Pyramid of Energy (The 10% Rule)''':
Energy is lost at every step of the food web.
* When a cow eats grass, 90% of the grass's energy is used for the cow's "Living" (breathing, moving, heat).
* Only 10% is stored in the cow's "Meat."
* This is why there are always millions of blades of grass, thousands of cows, but only a few wolves. You need a massive "Base" to support a tiny "Top."

'''2. Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Control''':
* '''Bottom-Up''': The health of the ecosystem is determined by the amount of sunlight and nutrients available to the plants.
* '''Top-Down''': The health is determined by the predators keeping the herbivores in check. If you remove the predators, the herbivores overpopulate and eat all the plants (The Trophic Cascade).

'''3. Bioaccumulation''':
Because energy is lost but "Poisons" are often stored, toxins (like Mercury or Microplastics) become **more concentrated** as you move up the food web. A fish might have a little mercury, but the shark that eats 1,000 fish will have a dangerous amount.

'''Nutrient Cycling''': While energy flows "Through" and out of an ecosystem (as heat), nutrients (Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus) must be "Recycled" by decomposers to be used again.
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