Question

ecological pyramids
an ecological pyramid is a model of the relative amounts of energy, biomass, or numbers of organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem.
figure a shows an energy pyramid. its used to see how much energy passes between trophic levels. only about 10 percent of energy is available to the next trophic level. why? most energy at each level is consumed by cellular respiration or lost to the environment.
figure b shows a biomass pyramid. biomass is the total mass of living matter in a given area. the amount of biomass decreases at each trophic level.
figure c shows the number of individual organisms found at each trophic level. it is called a pyramid of numbers. there are fewer organisms at higher levels than at lower ones. there is less energy available to sustain organisms at higher trophic levels.
academic vocabulary
cellular respiration (noun) the process where oxygen is converted to carbon dioxide and energy
tip primary producers are autotrophs. primary consumers are herbivores. secondary consumers are carnivores. third - level consumers are carnivores that have no predators.

1. explain for each pyramid in the figure, explain why each trophic level is smaller as you go up the pyramid.

Explanation:

For energy pyramids, energy transfer inefficiencies (mostly lost as heat or through cellular respiration) limit higher levels. Biomass pyramids are affected by energy loss during transfer, reducing available biomass. Pyramids of numbers are based on energy availability; higher levels have fewer organisms due to lower energy resources.

Answer:

• Energy pyramid: Only about 10 percent of energy passes between trophic levels. Most energy at each level is consumed by cellular respiration or lost to the environment as heat. So, as you go up the pyramid, there is less available energy to support organisms at higher levels, making each trophic - level smaller.
• Biomass pyramid: The amount of biomass decreases at each trophic level. This is because energy is lost as it is transferred from one level to the next. Producers have the most biomass as they are the base of the food chain, and as you move up, less biomass can be supported due to energy loss.
• Pyramid of numbers: There is less energy available to sustain organisms at higher trophic levels. Primary producers are abundant as they are the energy source. As you move up to primary consumers (herbivores), then secondary consumers (carnivores), and third - level consumers, the number of individual organisms decreases because there is not enough energy to support a large number of organisms at higher levels.