Advantages of pyramid of biomass over pyramid of numbers
Answers
1) Pyramid of biomass: It is a ecological/eltonian pyramid which is representing the biomass in various trophies levels. It is more real than the pyramid of numbers at various trophic and sub-trophic levels. Only 10-20% biomass is transferred from the first one trophic level to the next trophic level: the 10% energy law. 1000 kilogram (one Tonne) Vegetation shall form only the 100 kilogram of herbivore, 10 kilogram of a primary carnivore, 1 kilogram of secondary carnivore and only 0.1 kilogram of tertiary carnivore.
Therefore, with increasing dependence on animal diet (nonvegetarian), the human population will require a really high amount of farm produce: total nonvegetarian 10 times, 50% nonvegetarian 5 times, vegetarian or vegan with milk 1.5 times. Pyramid of biomass is upright, except in aquatic food chain involving short lived plankton (in this case biomass at one time will be less than consumers at higher level, i.e., apex predators and other top carnivorous animals).
2) Pyramid of numbers: Just like biomass pyramid, this too, is an ecological/eltonian pyramid which employs the number of individuals in that specific unit per area and that too at various trophic levels sequence-wise with producers at the base and various carnivorous animals at a successively higher level. It is in general upright as maximum number of individuals occur at the producer level (conventional transformation of radiational energy of the sun as the source to a equally energy providing organic nutrient and inorganic nutrient), followed by smaller number of herbivores, fewer primary carnivores and still fewer higher levels of carnivores or apex predators.
However, a large sized tree can provide enough food to several herbivorous animals (e.g., birds, squirrels, sparrows), which also support a few major carnivores. Such a pyramid of numbers is spindle shaped. When the herbivores support a large number of ectoparasitess, which are further parasitised by still larger number of hyperparasites, the pyramid of numbers is inverted.
Answer:
Pyramid of biomass: It is a ecological/eltonian pyramid which is representing the biomass in various trophies levels. It is more real than the pyramid of numbers at various trophic and sub-trophic levels. Only 10-20% biomass is transferred from the first one trophic level to the next trophic level: the 10% energy law. 1000 kilogram (one Tonne) Vegetation shall form only the 100 kilogram of herbivore, 10 kilogram of a primary carnivore, 1 kilogram of secondary carnivore and only 0.1 kilogram of tertiary carnivore.
Therefore, with increasing dependence on animal diet (nonvegetarian), the human population will require a really high amount of farm produce: total nonvegetarian 10 times, 50% nonvegetarian 5 times, vegetarian or vegan with milk 1.5 times. Pyramid of biomass is upright, except in aquatic food chain involving short lived plankton (in this case biomass at one time will be less than consumers at higher level, i.e., apex predators and other top carnivorouvs
Pyramid of numbers: Just like biomass pyramid, this too, is an ecological/eltonian pyramid which employs the number of individuals in that specific unit per area and that too at various trophic levels sequence-wise with producers at the base and various carnivorous animals at a successively higher level. It is in general upright as maximum number of individuals occur at the producer level (conventional transformation of radiational energy of the sun as the source to a equally energy providing organic nutrient and inorganic nutrient), followed by smaller number of herbivores, fewer primary carnivores and still fewer higher levels of carnivores or apex predators.
However, a large sized tree can provide enough food to several herbivorous animals (e.g., birds, squirrels, sparrows), which also support a few major carnivores. Such a pyramid of numbers is spindle shaped. When the herbivores support a large number of ectoparasitess, which are further parasitised by still larger number of hyperparasites, the pyramid of numbers is inverted.