Ecological Pyramids Diagrams that show relationships between organisms in an ecosystem Three types of ecological pyramids: Numbers Biomass Energy Show the relationships between the trophic levels in ecosystems (the numbers, amount of biomass, or amount of energy)

Pyramids of Energy food chains and food webs have limitations do not show how much energy is passed from one organism to the next energy pyramids show the amount of available energy available at each trophic level only 10% of the energy taken in by the individual at one level is passed on to individuals at the next level WHY?

Energy can`t be used because passed out as waste or can’t be eaten (60%) Energy is used for biological processes by plants and animals such as breathing, running, growing or lost as heat (30%)

Pyramid of Energy Tertiary consumers 0.1 % 10 J Secondary consumers 1% Always upright and vertical.  Shows the flow of energy at different trophic levels.  the more levels that exist between the producers and top consumers, the less energy is left for the top consumer This demonstrates how important producers are to ecosystems The wider the base, the more energy producers provide to consumers Tertiary consumers 0.1 % 10 J Secondary consumers 1% 100 J Primary consumers 10% 1000 J 10 000 J Producers 100%