Advertisements
Advertisements
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.
Advertisements
Solution
(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.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
“It is often said that the pyramid of energy is always upright. On the other hand, the pyramid of biomass can be both upright and inverted.” Explain with the help if examples and sketches.
Answer the following question.
What is an ecological pyramid? Compare the pyramids of energy, biomass, and numbers.
Explain with the help of labelled diagrams, the difference between an upright pyramid of biomass and an inverted pyramid of biomass.
Give an example of an ecosystem that shows an inverted pyramid of numbers.
Define ecological pyramids.
Which ecosystem has the maximum biomass?
Which of the following organism form the decomposers?
In a pyramid of biomass, if the total dry weight (kgm-2) of primary produces is about 809, it well increases at tertiary consumer level up to ______.
In an aquatic ecosystem, a mollusc typically belongs to-
Name any two organisms which can occupy more than one trophic level in an ecosystem.
