Used to maintain life at that level. (♥nova net!
Producers have the most energy at the pyramid level because they manufacture food from inorganic raw materials.
Algae
The most energy in an energy pyramid is typically found at the base, with the primary producers (such as plants) converting sunlight into energy through photosynthesis. Each level up the pyramid contains less energy as it is transferred through the food chain.
a food web pyramid
a food web pyramid
a food web pyramid
an energy pyramid
The level on the energy pyramid with the most biomass is usually the bottom level, which consists of producers like plants and algae. These organisms have the highest biomass because they are able to convert the energy from the sun into food through photosynthesis.
The energy pyramid shows how the amount of useful energy, food, decreases as organisms in that level use it. Even though a lot of energy may be taken in at any level, more energy in the form of food that is available to the next level, is stored on the bottom level and decreases at each level as you move to the top of the pyramid. Thus, there is much less energy to support organisms at the top, so there are fewer in most communities.
energy pyramid
energy pyramid
An energy pyramid represents the amount of energy available at each level of a food web. It shows how energy is transferred between trophic levels, with each level containing less energy than the one below it. This is due to the loss of energy as heat through respiration and other metabolic processes.