Why is an energy pyramid the shape of a pyramid?

Answer 1

Energy pyramids and biomass pyramids are ways of illustrating the movement of energy and biomass through an ecosystem. A complete explanation requires consideration of the structure of ecosystems and a little knowledge of the laws of thermodynamics.

• Ecosystems are comprised of the following kinds of organisms (trophic levels): producers (plants),
• primary consumers (animals that eat plants),
• secondary consumers (animals that eat animals that eat plants),
• tertiary consumers (animals that eat animals that eat animals that eat plants) and decomposers.

At every energy transformation some energy is degraded to low grade heat. This energy is essentially lost to the ecosystem and released into the surroundings.

Only approximately 10% of the energy (as biomass) that is contained in one tropic level is transferred to the next trophic level as biomass. The remaining 90% is dissipated as heat to the atmosphere.

Therefore, if you assume a producer community made up of 1000 lbs of grass is eaten by primary consumers, only 10% of the 1000 lbs, or 100 lbs, will end up as biomass in the primary consumer level. If those 100 lbs of primary consumer are eaten by secondary consumers, only 1 lb (10% of 100 lbs) will be turned into secondary consumer biomass --- and so on.

The resulting graphic for either biomass or energy in an ecosystem are roughly pyramid-shaped with each succeeding level being only 10% as large as the one before/below it.

Answer 2

One would say that it's because energy has pharaonic ambitions but alas, no.

It's because the avaliability of energy in an ecosystem is always larger at the first trophic level, of the producers. They use up some of that energy themselves before their eaten by herbivores, which in turn use up some themselves before they're eaten and so on.

Answer 3

Larger support base. Few survive on the work of many. In the animal kingdom, this is called evolution and led to such breakthroughs as larger litters of babies, faster gestation rates and earlier sexual maturity in animals like rodents, bugs and insects. Raw material must be processed for use, which is why flow charts do better justice on the individual level.

Answer 4

A energy pryramid shows that each feeding level has less energy than the one below it.

Answer 5

it is in order from producer to decomposers

Answer 6

It is in the shape of a pyramid to show at the bottom it is big which gives 10% and then it gives off smaller and then smaller amounts of energy to make the point at the top.

Answer 7

because it shows tons of energy going up into smaller energy than smaller energy to smaller energy by the way this is probably not the best answer so don't put it on your paper.

Answer 8

because it is lights remember