How is Mean Energy Density in the Serengeti Calculated?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the mean energy density in the Serengeti, estimated at 31 J/m²/day based on the annual weight of ungulate deaths, their mass-specific energy content, and the total area of the Serengeti. The poster is confused about how to arrive at this figure, suspecting that it involves multiplying the total weight of ungulates by their energy content and dividing by the land area. They express uncertainty about their calculations and whether unit conversions might be the issue. The reference to a scientific paper and WolframAlpha's agreement with the final figure suggests that the calculation method is valid. Clarification on the calculation process is sought to resolve the confusion.
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Homework Statement



It has been estimated that a total weight of 4x10^7 kg of ungulates die in the Serengeti each year (Houston, 1979). We assume that these have an mass-specific energy content of 7x10^6J kg^-1 (Peters, 1983), and that the Serengeti stretches over 25,000 km^2 (Sinclair and Norton-Griffiths, 1979) This gives a mean energy density of 31 Jm^-2 day^-1

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The Attempt at a Solution



I'm struggling to see how the authors get their final figure of 31 joules per metre squared per day. Presumably it's the total weight multiplied by the mass specific energy content and that divided over the land area. I don't get their answer when I do this.


Any insight would be much appreciated.

It's from the appendix of this paper http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022519304000542
 
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No idea where I was going wrong but thanks for that.
 
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