In a food pyramid, there is typically less biomass at the top (i.e, there are very few individuals 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
The phenomenon of less biomass at the top of a food pyramid is primarily due to energy flow in ecosystems. Producers, such as plants, have access to an abundant energy source, sunlight, and convert it into energy-rich organic compounds through photosynthesis. As energy is transferred from one trophic level to another, a significant amount is lost as heat, metabolic processes, and waste. Consequently, less energy is available for higher-level consumers, such as tertiary consumers, resulting in fewer individuals and less biomass at the top. This is supported by the concept of trophic efficiencies, which typically range from 5-20% between trophic levels, further emphasizing the energy loss as it moves through the food chain.
