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)
This phenomenon can be explained by the concept of energy flow in ecosystems. At each trophic level, energy is lost through heat and metabolism, meaning that there is less energy available to support organisms at higher trophic levels. This is why there are fewer tertiary consumers as compared to producers and primary consumers. Plants play a crucial role in supporting ecosystems by capturing energy from the sun through photosynthesis and converting it into food. This energy then flows up the food chain, supporting a larger number of individuals at lower trophic levels.
shorter
Less biomass at the top of a food pyramid is due to energy loss at each trophic level, with plants supporting ecosystems by capturing and converting energy from the sun. This results in fewer individual tertiary consumers compared to producers and primary consumers.
