Question

Answer the following question.
What is an ecological pyramid? Compare the pyramids of energy, biomass, and numbers.

Answer 1

Ecological pyramid:
The relation between producers and consumers in an ecosystem can be graphically represented in the form of a pyramid called the ecological pyramid.

Ecological pyramids are of 3 types :
(i) Pyramid of number
(ii) Pyramid of biomass
(iii) Pyramid of energy

(i) Pyramid of number:
The relationship between producers and consumers in an ecosystem can be represented in the form of a pyramid in terms of number is called pyramid of number.

(ii) Pyramid of Biomass:
The relationship between producers and consumers in an ecosystem can be represented in the form of a pyramid in terms of biomass is called pyramid of biomass. It can be upright or inverted.

(iii) Pyramid of energy :
The relationship between producers and consumers in an ecosystem can be represented in the found of the pyramid in terms of the flow of energy called pyramid of energy. Always upright as energy is lost as heat at each step.