In a food pyramid, there is typically less biomass at the top (ie., 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 a food pyramid, there is typically less biomass at the top due to the inefficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels. As energy flows up the food chain, only about 10% is passed on to the next level, with the rest being lost as heat. This means that there is simply not enough energy available to support a large number of top predators compared to producers. Plants, as producers, play a crucial role in supporting ecosystems by converting sunlight into energy through photosynthesis. They form the base of the food pyramid and provide essential nutrients for herbivores and higher trophic levels, ultimately limiting the number of tertiary consumers that can be supported in an ecosystem.
