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. Make it short and easier for a 7th grader to understand
In a food pyramid, there is less biomass at the top because energy is lost as it moves up the pyramid. Producers, like plants, capture energy from the sun through photosynthesis and convert it into food. These plants are then eaten by primary consumers, such as herbivores, who only get a portion of the energy stored in the plants. When secondary consumers, like carnivores, eat the herbivores, they receive even less energy. So, by the time we reach the top, there is very little energy left for tertiary consumers, making them fewer in number compared to the abundant producers.
shorter
At the top of the food pyramid, there are fewer animals because energy decreases as it moves up. Plants capture energy from the sun and are eaten by plant-eating animals, who get less energy. Carnivores eat these animals, receiving even less energy. So, by the time we reach the top, there's not enough energy left to support many animals.
make it like a 7th grader wrote it
At the top of the food pyramid, there are only a few animals because the energy from the Sun decreases as it goes up. Plants make food using the Sun's energy and animals that eat plants get some energy, but less than the plants had. When meat-eating animals eat those plant-eating animals, they get even less energy. That's why there aren't many animals at the top, because there's not enough energy left to support a lot of them.
