In a food pyramid, there is typically less biomass at the top (i.e., there are very few individual tertiary consumers, whereas there are numerous individual producers). In three to five sentences, explain this phenomenon, citing evidence relating to energy flow and how plants support ecosystems.(4 points
In a food pyramid, less biomass is observed at the top due to the inefficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels. As energy flows through an ecosystem, each successive trophic level captures only a fraction of the energy from the level below. This energy loss occurs due to metabolic processes, heat production, and incomplete digestion. Since plants (producers) convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis, they have access to the greatest amount of energy. In contrast, tertiary consumers at the top of the food pyramid have to rely on a limited energy supply, explaining the smaller number of individuals present at this level.
