Trophic Pyramids and Ecosystem Energy Transfer

Understanding Trophic Pyramids and Ecosystem Energy Transfer

• Trophic pyramids describe food relationships in an ecosystem, showing who eats whom and who produces energy.
• Primary producers, or autotrophs, are at the base of the trophic pyramid and are able to store energy as biomass.
• On average, only about 10% of energy is transferred from one level of the trophic pyramid to the next.
• First-level consumers, or primary consumers, eat the primary producers, but only store 10% of the energy as biomass.
• Secondary consumers eat the first-level consumers and store 10% of the energy as biomass, with a 90% drop-off.
• Tertiary consumers, or third-level consumers, eat the secondary consumers and store only 20 kilocalories per square meter per year.
• Apex predators, at the top of the pyramid, only store 2 kilocalories per square meter per year and are limited in biomass due to the energy transfer drop-off.
• Energy is lost as heat due to movement and processes in organisms, and dead biomass is decomposed by decomposers.
• Changes to the ecosystem, such as a loss of light energy or introduction of pesticides, can have far-reaching consequences on the trophic pyramid.
• Ecosystems are complex and intertwined, and one impact at one area could have consequences throughout the entire ecosystem.
• Ecosystems can be viewed as energy transfer systems, with energy coming from the sun and being cycled through the pyramid.
• Understanding trophic pyramids and ecosystem energy transfer is crucial for understanding the balance and sustainability of ecosystems.