1. Food Pyramids

2. (eat other carnivores)
Cont’d
Trophic Level
Describes the level or position of an organism in a food chain and ecosystem.
Only 10% of the energy taken in by an organism at one trophic level is passed on to organisms at the next level.The amount of available energy decreases.
Carnivores – Fourth Tropic Level
Tertiary Consumers
(eat other carnivores)
Carnivores – Third Trophic Level
Secondary Consumers
Herbivores – Second Trophic Level
Primary Consumers
Producers - First Trophic Level

3. Ecological Pyramids
Display relationships between trophic levels in ecosystems and illustrates energy loss and transfer between each level
3 types are: energy, numbers and biomass
The size of each layer in the pyramid represents the amount of energy available.
Species in the highest trophic levels have less energy available to them than those near the bottom. Eg) More producers than herbivores, more herbivores than carnivores

4. Pyramid of Biomass - The mass of living organisms in each trophic level.
Pyramid of Numbers – The number of individuals of all populations in each tropic level
secondary consumers Pyramid of
(predators, parasites) Biomass
primary consumers
(insect herbivores)
Pyramid of
of Numbers producers
(trees)