define ecological pyramids and illustrate and describe with examples of pyramids of biomass, number of energy in terrestrial and aquatic habitats
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
pictorial representation to represent the relation between trophic levels in an ecosystem on the basis of biomass,number ,and energy.
concept introduced by charles elton and hence known as eltonian pyramids.
base represent producers and are broader [exceptions are there].
1)biomass =biomass of different organism present in different trophical level.
inverted biomass pyramids present in aquatic ecosystem.
2)number=number of members ,inverted in case of a tree ecosystem.
3)energy =based on the amount of energy transfered onto each trophic level ,follow 10% law and hence only 10% of energy present in one level is transfered into the next level.AND HENCE WILL ALWAYS BE AN UPRIGHT PYRAMID ,NOT AN INVERTED ONE.
Answer:
An ecological pyramid can be defined as a graphical representation of different ecological parameters, namely the number of individuals found at each tropic level, the energy quantity or the biomass found in each tropic level. These pyramids depict the producers at the base whereas the apex depicts the top level consumers found in the ecosystem.
Pyramids are of three types:
- Pyramid of numbers – it gives the graphical representation of the number of individuals found at each tropic level in a food chain of an ecosystem. This pyramid can be inverted or upright depending on the crowd of producers. Example – In a Greenland ecosystem, this pyramid is upright where in the food chain, the number of producers is followed by the number of herbivores, which in turn is followed by number of secondary and tertiary consumers. Therefore, the number of individuals at the level of producers will be maximum, whereas the number of individuals at the top are carnivores will be the least. The pyramid of numbers in a parasitic food chain is inverted, where in the food chain, producers provide food to fruit eating birds which in response support few species of insects.
- Pyramid of biomass – it is a graphical representation of the total quantity of living matter found at each tropic level of an ecosystem and can either be inverted or upright. In grasslands and forest ecosystems it is upright as the quantity of biomass at the producer level is higher than at the carnivore level, at the top. This pyramid is inverted for a pond ecosystem as the biomass of fishes far surpass the biomass of zooplankton on which they feed.
- Pyramid of energy.