Life on Earth - Pyramids of Energy and Numbers Flashcards
1
Q
What are ecological pyramids used to show?
A
Overall structure of an ecosystem
2
Q
What does a pyramid of numbers show?
A
The total number of individual organisms at each level in the food chain of an ecosystem.
THEY DON’T ALWAYS HAVE A REGULAR SHAPE
3
Q
What does a pyramid of energy show?
most important one
A
The total quantity of available energy stored in the organism at each level in the food chain of an ecosystem PER YEAR
THEY ALWAYS HAVE A REGULAR SHAPE
4
Q
How can a pyramid of energy be estimated?
A
by burning organism samples and measuring the heat released.
