The abundance and fecundity of life on this planet is directly related to the energy supplied by the sun. The pyramid of life starts with the absorption of a fraction of this energy, followed by its conversion from electromagnetic to chemical energy (photosynthesis) and its subsequent storage into biomass (primary production). This chemical energy supports, in one way or another, the myriad of food webs that exist on the earth 1. Thus, the study of food webs and their dynamics is to a first order defined by the basic energy inputs into the ecosystem, and therefore the study of life requires understanding of the amount of energy available to feed biological systems.

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