Ecological Pyramids

• Ecological pyramid is the graphical representation of energy flow through an ecosystem.
• Primary producers are plants that convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis.
• Biomass refers to the total amount of living matter present at any given time, measured as dry weight or carbon content.
• The ecological pyramid shows the relationship between biomass, productivity, and population size at different trophic levels.
• Only about 10% of the energy is available to the next higher trophic level, with each level using the energy from the level below as an energy source.
• The pyramid of biomass is the most common type of ecological pyramid.
• This loss is because some energy is dissipated as heat at each transfer to the next trophic level.
• As energy flows up successive levels of the pyramid, there is a progressive loss in available energy at each trophic level.
• Pyramid of numbers - number of individuals per unit area/volume
• Pyramid of biomass - total weight of living matter per unit area/volume
• The ecological pyramid shows how much biomass or energy exists at different trophic levels within an ecosystem, with each level representing a different type of organism (producers, consumers, decomposers).
• Secondary consumers feed on primary consumers, while tertiary consumers feed on secondary consumers.
• The number of organisms decreases at each trophic level due to competition, predation, disease, and other factors.
• Pyramid of numbers shows the decrease in biomass from one trophic level to another.
• Pyramid of numbers shows the number of organisms at different trophic levels.
• Apex predator is the highest-level consumer in a food chain or web.
• Pyramid of numbers represents the number of organisms at each trophic level.
• Energy flow diagram illustrates how energy flows through an ecosystem.
• Productivity refers to the rate at which new organic matter is produced by producers in an ecosystem.
• Biomass refers to the total mass of living organisms in an area over time.
• Food webs are more complex than food chains because they include multiple pathways of energy transfer between species.
• Food chains show the transfer of energy through various trophic levels.
• Energy flow diagram is also known as food chain.
• Ecological pyramids show the amount of energy transferred between trophic levels.
• Trophic pyramids show the amount of energy transferred between trophic levels.
• Biomass is the total mass of all living things within a given area, usually measured per unit time.
• Net primary productivity (NPP) measures the amount of biomass that remains as plant material after respiration, decomposition, and herbivory.
• Consumers obtain their energy from other organisms, either directly or indirectly.
• Energy flows through food chains from producers (plants) to consumers (animals).
• Biomass refers to the total mass or weight of all organisms present in an ecosystem, community, population, or species.
• The pyramid of biomass is the amount of living matter at each trophic level.
• Primary production is the synthesis of organic compounds by plants using solar energy.
• Secondary production is the growth and reproduction of animals.
• Tertiary production is the growth and reproduction of decomposers.
• Energy only flows in one direction