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More About The Topic : Energy Pyramid
More About The Topic : Energy Pyramid
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LEVELS:
1. The base of the pyramid (the
largest) contains producers. They
receive the 100% amount of energy. This is because they receive the energy directly from the
sun. Producers use up some energy to make their own food so, some energy is lost. They
transfer only 10% of the energy they received.
2. All other organisms in the pyramid are consumers. The consumers at each level feed on
organisms from the level below and are themselves consumed by organisms at the level above.
Every level receiving the 10% of the energy they received.
3. The levels are: primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer, and even
quaternary consumer (this last level is also called Top consumer or Apex predator). The levels
of the pyramid will depend on how long the food chain is.
Most of the food energy that enters a trophic level is “lost” as heat when it is used by organisms to
power the normal activities of life. Therefore, the higher the trophic level on the pyramid, the
lower the amount of available energy.