Ecological Pyramid Quiz

Ecosystem Dynamics

• The pyramid of numbers illustrates the quantity of individual organisms at each trophic level of an ecosystem, showing how population sizes decrease at higher levels.
• The pyramid of biomass measures the total mass of living matter at each trophic level, indicating the energy available to higher trophic levels and often reflects productivity differences in ecosystems.
• The ecological pyramid that illustrates the flow of energy from one trophic level to the next is known as the pyramid of energy, highlighting energy transfer efficiency and loss at each stage.

Carbon Cycle

• The carbon cycle describes the process of carbon compounds being exchanged among the biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, emphasizing the importance of carbon in sustaining life.
• All green plants utilize sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to perform photosynthesis, converting solar energy into chemical energy stored in glucose.
• Animals obtain carbon stored in plants through consumption; when they eat plant matter, they assimilate the carbon compounds for their own biological processes.

Nitrogen Cycle

• Nitrogen fixation is the biogeochemical process that converts inert atmospheric nitrogen into a more usable form, such as ammonia or nitrates, making it accessible for living organisms in ecosystems.