It’s not the amount of energyEnergy and nutrients are the same thing. Plants capture energy from the Sun and store it in chemicals, via the process of photosynthesis. The excess greenery and waste that plants create, contain chemicals that animals can eat, in order to build their own bodies and reproduce. When a chemical is used this way, we call it a nutrient. As we More in a system that makes it possible for us to feed ourselves, it’s the energy flux (the rate at which energy flows).
For example, you can have a full water tank in your house but it’s hardly any use to you, unless it’s able to flow out of taps. This simple logic, proves why ecosystemsHow ecosystems function An ecosystem is a community of lifeforms that interact in such an optimal way that how ecosystems function best, is when all components (including humans and other animals) can persist and live alongside each other for the longest time possible. Ecosystems are fuelled by the energy created by plants (primary producers) that convert the Sun's heat energy More have to be considered as thermodynamicThermodynamics are at the heart of our understanding of ecosystems and not an altogether difficult concept to grasp but one that isn't widely taught to ecologists. Basically, all life on Earth, is derived from the Sun's heat. This renewable energy source constantly bombards ecosystems with energy but they would overheat, if it wasn't for the absorptive capacity of food webs. More systems. If you’re an ecologist and don’t think in terms of energy flow, you think in terms of storage, which is not how or why animals and humans can exist in the first place.
Animals and humans exist because planetary processes can only stabilise if there is a way to regulate energy passing through ecosystems, the energy plants create. You need a way to regulate the flow, so you don’t flood the system. Plants store massive amounts of energy but also create dangerous amounts of waste. Left unmanaged, plants will quickly collapse ecosystems and pollute the environment (pollution is a term that describes any source of energy that negatively affects animals and people alike).
