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 one sentence
, the phenomenon of less biomass at the top of a food pyramid can be explained by the fact that energy is lost as it flows through the food chain, with only a fraction being transferred to each subsequent trophic level.
Plants at the base of the food pyramid are able to capture sunlight through photosynthesis, converting this energy into chemical energy that is then consumed by primary consumers.
As a result, a large amount of energy is available to support the growth and reproduction of numerous individual producers, such as plants, algae, and other autotrophs.
However, as this energy is transferred to higher trophic levels, less energy is available at each subsequent level, resulting in fewer individuals at the top of the food pyramid.