Question

(a) Given below is a pyramid of biomass in an ecosystem where each bar represents the standing crop available in the trophic level. With the help of an example explain the conditions where this kind of pyramid is possible in nature.

(b) Will the pyramid of energy be also of the same shape in this situation? Give a reason for your response.

Answer 1

(a) Invertebrate biomass pyramids can be observed in aquatic environments where a tiny standing phytoplankton crop supports a huge standing zooplankton/fish crop or in terrestrial ecosystems where a lot of insects are eating on a tree's leaves.

(b) No, the Pyramid of Energy is always upright and cannot be inverted because some energy is constantly lost as heat at each trophic level as it moves from one to the next.