Ecological Pyramids

Front

What is an ecological pyramid?

Back

An ecological pyramid represents the relative amount of energy, numbers, or biomass at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

Front

What are the three main types of ecological pyramids?

Back

The three main types are: 1) Pyramid of Energy, 2) Pyramid of Numbers, 3) Pyramid of Biomass.

Front

What does the Pyramid of Energy show?

Back

The Pyramid of Energy shows the flow of energy through different trophic levels, indicating how much energy is available at each level.

Front

What is the typical energy loss between trophic levels?

Back

Typically, about 90% of energy is lost as heat or used by organisms, leaving only about 10% to be passed on to the next trophic level.

Front

What happens to the population of plants if herbivores decrease?

Back

If the population of herbivores decreases, the population of meadow plants will likely increase due to reduced grazing.

Front

Which trophic level has the most energy?

Back

The producer level (plants) has the most energy in an ecological pyramid.

Front

What is biomass in the context of ecological pyramids?

Back

Biomass refers to the total mass of living organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

Front

Which organism would have the least biomass in an ecological pyramid: coyote, insect, lizard, or shrub?

Back

The coyote would have the least amount of biomass.

Front

What is a trophic level?

Back

A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web, representing the flow of energy and nutrients.

Front

How does energy transfer between trophic levels?

Back

Energy transfers from one trophic level to the next, but with significant loss at each level due to metabolic processes.