In a food pyramid, the biomass decreases at higher trophic levels due to the inefficiency of energy transfer between them. Typically, only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is passed on to the next, as much of it is lost through metabolic processes, heat, and waste. Producers, such as plants, harness solar energy through photosynthesis, supporting ecosystems by providing the foundational energy source for all other trophic levels. As a result, while there is a large biomass of producers that can convert solar energy into organic matter, there are far fewer tertiary consumers that can be sustained due to the limited energy available from the lower levels.
In a food pyramid, there is typically less biomass at the top ( i.e., there are very few individual tertiary consumers, whereas there are numerous individual producers). In three to five sentences, explain this phenomenon, citing evidence relating to energy flow and how plants support ecosystems
5 answers
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In a food pyramid, there are fewer animals at the top because energy is lost as it moves up from one level to the next. Only about 10% of the energy from plants (the producers) is passed on to herbivores (primary consumers) and then to carnivores (secondary and tertiary consumers). Since plants turn sunlight into energy, they provide the main food source for all other animals in the ecosystem. This means there are many more plants than there are animals at higher levels because there isn't enough energy to support a large number of top predators.
Make it into four sentences
In a food pyramid, there are fewer animals at the top because energy is lost as it moves from one level to another. Only about 10% of the energy from producers, like plants, is passed on to herbivores and then to carnivores. Plants convert sunlight into energy, serving as the main food source for all other animals in the ecosystem. This results in a larger biomass of plants compared to the smaller number of top predators that can be supported.