Why does an energy (food) pyramid has less biomass at the top, explain in terms of energy flow and importance of plants
An energy (food) pyramid has less biomass at the top because as energy flows through an ecosystem, there is a loss of energy at each trophic level. This loss of energy occurs primarily through metabolic processes such as respiration and heat production.
Plants play a crucial role in the energy flow of an ecosystem as they are the primary producers, converting sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis. This means that the energy that flows through the ecosystem ultimately originates from plants.
As energy moves up the food chain, each successive trophic level has less energy available to it. This is because only a fraction of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next, with a significant portion being lost as heat.
Therefore, the top of the energy pyramid, which typically consists of apex predators, has less biomass because there is not enough energy available to support a large population of top carnivores. In contrast, plants have a much larger biomass because they are able to capture and store a significant amount of energy from the sun, making them the foundation of the ecosystem and essential for supporting higher trophic levels.