Green Plants Replenish the Energy for Life An ecosystem may be as small as a tidal pool or a rotting log or as large as an ocean or a continent-spanning forest. Each ecosystem consists of a community of plants and animals in an enviroment that supplies them with raw materials for life. The energy necessary for all life processes reaches the earth in the form of sunlight. By photosynthesis, green plants convert light energy into chemical energy; carbon dioxide and water are transformed into sugar, which is then stored in the plant. The energy for life on earth can only be replenished by green plants absorbing and converting solar energy.
