Ecological Pyramids Ecological Pyramids Instead of representing trophic

Ecological Pyramids

Ecological Pyramids • Instead of representing trophic levels in a food web, an ecological pyramid can be used. Hawk (1 kcal) 5 4 Snake (10 kcal) Frog (100 kcal) 3 2 Grasshopper (1, 000 kcal) Grass (10, 000 kcal) 1

Ecological Pyramids • Does this pyramid represent a food chain or web? Hawk (1 kcal) • A chain, because there is only one organism at each level 5 4 Snake (10 kcal) Frog (100 kcal) 3 2 Grasshopper (1, 000 kcal) Grass (10, 000 kcal) 1

Ecological Pyramids • How could this pyramid be changed to represent a food web? Hawk (1 kcal) • Different species could be added at each level to show more eating “opportunities” 5 4 Snake (10 kcal) Frog (100 kcal) 3 2 Grasshopper (1, 000 kcal) Grass (10, 000 kcal) 1

Pyramid of Energy

Pyramid of Energy Pyramids of energy show the relative amount of energy available at each trophic level of a food chain or food web. Hawk (1 kcal) 5 4 Snake (10 kcal) Frog (100 kcal) 3 2 Grasshopper (1, 000 kcal) Grass (10, 000 kcal) 1

Ecological Pyramids Hawk (1 kcal) • What do the numbers at each level represent? 5 • the trophic levels 4 Snake (10 kcal) Frog (100 kcal) 3 2 Grasshopper (1, 000 kcal) Grass (10, 000 kcal) 1

Pyramid of Energy • What does kcal stand for? • Kilocalories, a measurement of energy Hawk (1 kcal) 5 4 Snake (10 kcal) Frog (100 kcal) 3 2 Grasshopper (1, 000 kcal) Grass (10, 000 kcal) 1

Pyramid of Energy • What happens to the energy as you go up the pyramid? • It decreases as it is either lost as heat energy or used in metabolism • How much energy is passed on to the next level? 4 Hawk (1 kcal) 5 Snake (10 kcal) Frog (100 kcal) 3 • About 10% 2 Grasshopper (1, 000 kcal) Grass (10, 000 kcal) 1

Pyramid of Biomass

Pyramid of Biomass - the total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level. A pyramid of biomass represents the relative amount of living organic matter available at each trophic level

Pyramid of Biomass What unit is commonly used on a pyramid of biomass?

Pyramid of Biomass What unit is commonly used on a pyramid of biomass? Kg, Kilograms

Pyramid of Numbers

Pyramid of Numbers What does a pyramid of numbers represent? The relative number of individual organisms at each trophic level.