1.3.12

Pyramids of Number and Biomass

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Pyramids of Number and Biomass

Ecological pyramids are sometimes called a trophic pyramid. Ecological pyramids model and visualise what is happening in a food chain.

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Food chains and webs

  • A food chain is a model that shows how energy flows through an ecosystem.
    • A food chain shows which organisms eat one another.
    • Food chains use trophic levels to represent which organisms eat one another.
  • A food web is a series of food chains that overlap.
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Producers and primary consumers

  • A food chain exists between grass, rabbits, and foxes.
  • Grass is the producer in this food chain.
    • Grass gets energy from the sun.
  • The rabbit is the primary consumer in this food chain.
    • Primary consumers are normally herbivores.
    • Primary consumers eat producers.
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Secondary consumers

  • The fox is the secondary consumer in the food chain with grass, rabbits and foxes.
    • Secondary consumers are normally carnivores.
    • Secondary consumers eat primary consumers.
  • The predator at the end of the chain is also called the apex predator.
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Pyramids of number

  • Pyramids of number represent the number of organisms in each trophic level.
  • The producer is at the bottom of the pyramid.
    • If the producer is a large organism like a tree, it will not be at the bottom of the pyramid.
    • Large organisms like trees can feed lots of small primary consumers.
  • The trophic levels go up in steps in the pyramid.
    • The width of each trophic level represents the number of organisms at that level.
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Pyramids of biomass

  • A pyramid of biomass shows the total mass of the organisms in a trophic level.
    • Pyramids of biomass show mass in grams or kilograms.

Jump to other topics

1Biology

1.1Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2Reproduction & Variation

1.3Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4Digestion & Nutrition

1.5Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6Biological Systems & Processes

2Chemistry

2.1Particles

2.2Chemical Reactions

2.3Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4The Periodic Table

2.5Materials & the Earth

2.6Reactivity

2.7Energetics

2.8Properties of Materials

3Physics

3.1Energy

3.2Forces & Motion

3.3Waves

3.4Electricity & Magnetism

3.5Matter

3.6Space Physics

4Thinking Scientifically

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