In a food pyramid, there is typically less biomass at the top ( I.e., there are very few individuals tertiary consumers, wheares there are numerous individuals producers. ) In 3 to 5 sentences, explain this phenomenon, citing evidence relating to energy flow and how plants support ecosystems.

Answer 1

The phenomenon of decreasing biomass at higher trophic levels in a food pyramid is largely due to the inefficiency of energy transfer between levels. Typically, only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is passed on to the next, as most energy is lost as heat or used for metabolic processes. This means that there are fewer tertiary consumers because they require a vast number of primary producers to sustain their energy needs. Plants, as primary producers, support ecosystems by converting sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain and providing energy and nutrients for herbivores and, consequently, higher trophic levels. The limited biomass at the top highlights the importance of plants in sustaining biodiversity and energy flow within ecosystems.