Question
Define ecological pyramids and describe with examples, pyramids of number and biomass.
✓
Answer
1. Ecological Pyramids : Ecological Pyramids are the representation of relationships between different components of ecosystem at successive trophic levels.
2. Pyramid of numbers:
- Pyramid of numbers is the diagrammatic representation which shows the relationship between producers, herbivores and carnivores at successive trophic levels in terms of their numbers.
- As we go up the trophic levels, the interdependent organisms keep on reducing in their numbers.
- For example, the number of grasses are more than the number of herbivores which eat them. The number of herbivores such as rabbits would be lesser than grass but greater than the carnivores that are dependent upon the population of rabbits.
- Thus, the producers would be more than primary consumers and primary consumers would be more than secondary consumers. The top level consumers would be least in their numbers. This pyramid shows upright nature.
3. Pyramid of biomass:
(1) Pyramid of biomass are constructed by taking into consideration the different biomass in every successive trophic level.
(2) Pyramid of biomass in seas in inverted as the biomass of fishes is more than the biomass of phytoplankton.
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