4.5c Food Pyramids

Pyramids - develops on food chains, to quantify trophic levels


Number (counting) = no. of organisms / trophic level = Easiest

Note: Draw pyramids appropriate to quantity e.g. 1 / 10 the quantity = 1 / 10 the size

---> DISADVANTAGES: Does not accurately represent energy balance within system

Biomass (dry mass only, w/o H2O)

Living material and their weight (g, kg, etc.)

Gives better understanding of mass of matter 

---> Need to dry out organism for calculation = impractical

Energy Transfer - 'ideal' to show energy transfer = Accurate

Represents as an accurate percentile, the reduction of energy at each trophic level
Does not face 'pyramid inversion' problem


---> Time consuming, difficult to research and produce