Question

What are the different types of ecological pyramids explain with suitable example ​

Answer 1

Answer:

Types of Ecological Pyramids

Depending on the factors that we use to represent an ecological pyramid, there are three types. They are:

Pyramid of numbers– Here the factor that is taken into account is the number of organisms in each trophic level.  As we go up the levels of the pyramid, the number of organisms decreases. The producers form the largest number and hence are at the bottom of the pyramid.

Pyramid of energy– This is an upright pyramid that represents the flow of energy from the producers to the final consumers.

Pyramid of biomass – This pyramid represents the amount of biomass of the organisms present at each trophic level. Biomass is nothing but the weight of the organisms.

Answer 2

Answer:

The pyramid of numbers, the pyramid of biomass, and the pyramid of energy are three different types of ecological pyramids.  

Explanation:

In an ecosystem, the different trophic levels are related to one another and that can be summarized in the form of graphical representation, known as the ecological pyramid of an ecosystem. The producers (first trophic level) are present at the base of each pyramid, while the apex represents tertiary or high-level consumers. There are three kinds of ecological pyramids possible which are discussed below.

• A pyramid of numbers is a graphical representation of the total number of individuals of different species belonging to each trophic level in an ecosystem. For example, in grassland ecosystems, the pyramids of numbers are upright, because the numbering of organisms decreases successively at a higher trophic level.
• The pyramid of biomass represents the total dry weight of living beings of different species at each trophic level at a particular time. Therefore, the diagrammatic representation of the biomass of individuals belonging to different trophic levels will be an upright pyramid. But this is not true in the case of some aquatic systems. For example, in the case of large lakes and also for the oceans, the pyramid of biomass is inverted.
• The pyramid of energy (which reflects the law of thermodynamics) is always upright because the producers contain large amounts of energy and as we move up through the trophic level, we can see that the flow rate of energy will successively decrease.