The land on a 100-acre farm is equally suited for grazing cattle and growing corn. Of the following ways of distributing land use, which would produce the greatest number of calories of human consumption?

Following the second law of thermodynamics, which states that during energy transfer or transformation, more of it is lost to the extrinsic environment.

However, the amount of energy that reaches the earth’s crust is often used for evaporation of water, warmth and for production of food by plants. Green Plants (primary producer in the ecosystem) are only provided with 1

% of the total energy supplied by the sun.

Herbivores (cattle) feeds on green plants like corn for food (energy) and during the process of energy transfer and transformation, about 10% of the energy from the plant is acquired by the cattle. More energy is also lost through it’s biochemical activities by heat and the it’s feace and urine. Only few percentage of energy is stored in the tissues for the secondary consumer (human). Humans also acquires only few percentage of calories from the cattle and more heat is lost externally.

Thus, since humans are omnivores and can breakdown cellulose. More calories of energy is conserved when human feed on the plant (corn) directly.

Therefore, using the 100 acres of land for corn wil produce greatest number of calories for human consumption.

aliasger2709 aliasger2709 · Answer 2 · 2021-11-16T11:29:04+01:00

According to the second law of thermodynamics, the energy from the intrinsic environment will be lost to the extrinsic environment due to some transformation. Sun is the source of the energy that is used as energy for the making food by the plants.

The correct answer is :

Option E. 0 acres cattle; 100 acres corn

The reason for the correct answers is:

Prime producers or plant uses only 1% of the energy emitted by the sun for the process of photosynthesis.

Herbivores animal feeds on primary producers for nourishment and energy. During this energy shift and transformation takes place. Only 10% of the energy from the plant to the consumers gets transferred.

Most of this transferred energy gets spent as a result of sweating and excretion.

Only some of this transferred energy is saved in the tissues for further expenditure by the secondary consumers or the carnivores/omnivores.

Secondary consumers also gains some percentage of energy from the herbivores and more heat is exchanged out from their bodies.

Humans (omnivores) can break down cellulose and can instantly take energy by feeding straight on the plants rather than consuming a herbivore for the energy.

Therefore, using the 100 acres of land for corn will give more calories for human consumption.

To learn more about the energy cycle and the second law of thermodynamics follow the given link:

https://brainly.com/question/12884953