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Question
Describe pyramid of energy with the help of diagram.
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Solution
- A pyramid of energy is always upright. It can never be inverted because when energy flows from a particular trophic level, only 10% passes on as net energy to the next trophic level, and a large amount of energy is always lost as heat at each step.
- In smaller food chains, more energy is available than in the longer food chains.
- There are chain limitations of ecological pyramids. It assumes a simple food chain, something that almost never exists in nature.
- It does not accommodate a food web. Moreover, saprophytes are not given any place in ecological pyramids, even though they play a vital role in the ecosystem.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Answer the following question.
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| In a forest ecosystem, a large population of insect feeds upon a banyan tree. Several small birds feed upon these insects. The small birds are fed upon by big-sized birds. |
- With respect to this ecosystem, draw a pyramid for each biomass and a pyramid of number.
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