Pyramid of Biomass: Definition, Examples, Examples, Function, FAQs

What Is The Pyramid Of Biomass?

A Pyramid of Biomass represents the mass of living organisms at each of the trophic levels of an ecosystem. By doing this it gives a clear picture related to the distribution of biomass from producer up to the top consumer. With its help, the flow of energy and matter in ecosystems can be determined. It emphasises how efficiently energy is passed on from one trophic level to the next, and how these factors happen to affect the health of an ecosystem.

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This Story also Contains

1. What Is The Pyramid Of Biomass?
2. Components Of The Biomass Pyramid
3. Types Of Biomass Pyramids
4. Examples Of Biomass Pyramids
5. Factors Affecting Biomass
6. How Important Is The Pyramid Of Biomass?
7. The Recommended Video On Pyramid Of Biomass:

The pyramid is structured in several levels: the first level is the base containing producers such as plants and algae; these are responsible for converting solar energy into biomass via photosynthesis. The level just above them consists of primary consumers, i.e., herbivores that eat producers. The ones that are next in turn are called secondary consumers. Carnivores that feed on primary consumers—the level above them is tertiary consumers. These are the apex predators that feed on the secondary consumers.

Diagram Of The Pyramid Of Biomass

The diagram shows the terrestrial biomass period

Components Of The Biomass Pyramid

The components of biomass are all living biological materials, mainly plants, animals, and microorganisms, which provide different contributions to the total biomass in an ecosystem. Biomass is expressed concerning a specific measurement unit, usually grams per square meter or kilograms per hectare, hence it provides a precise measure of the mass of the living organisms in a given area.

Types Of Biomass Pyramids

Upright Pyramid: In most of the terrestrial ecosystems, the Pyramid of Biomass takes out the shape of an upright pyramid. This implies the relative amount of biomass of producers is significantly higher than that of herbivores consuming them. Continuing with the progression of the trophic levels, one finds a decrease in biomass. The biomass of the herbivores is more than that of the carnivores, who are the secondary and tertiary consumers of them.

The Inverted Pyramid of Biomass: Unlike the standing upright pyramid, some water ecosystems often portray an inverted Pyramid of Biomass. For example, in some limnic ecosystems, there is more biomass in primary consumers like zooplankton than in the primary producers like phytoplankton. The reasons are that, though highly productive and with a rapid retribution capacity, the latter is quickly being consumed by the former. Thus, at any given time, the standing biomass of phytoplankton will always be less as compared to that of zooplankton.

Examples Of Biomass Pyramids

Terrestrial biomass pyramids usually feature a high biomass at the producer level, that tends to decrease progressively when climbing to the next trophic levels.

Biomass Pyramid of the Forest: Producers are the trees and shrubs of the forest ecosystem. This base of the pyramid is made from these plants converting solar energy into biomass by photosynthesis. Primary consumers include herbivores, such as deer, that feed on the leaves. Secondary consumers are predators, such as wolves, which depend on the herbivores as food. This arrangement lends a pyramid standing on its end, with producers holding much more biomass than herbivores and predators.

Grassland Biomass Pyramid: It is no different in the case of grasslands. Grasses are the primary producers of grasslands. Herbivores are first-order consumers. Examples include insects and grazing animals, like rabbits and antelope, which feed on the abundant grasses. Primary consumers are, in turn, eaten by birds and small mammals that feed on them as predators, the second-order consumers. The biomass will decrease from grasses to herbivores to predators again, showing an upright pyramid.

There might be different structures of biomass pyramid present in aquatic ecosystems because the producers and consumers turnover very fast.

Marine biomass pyramid: In a marine ecosystem, primary producers are phytoplankton, small photosynthetic organisms, which become the base of the pyramid. Zooplankton, the primary consumers, feed on phytoplankton. Secondary consumers include small fish that feed on zooplankton, and tertiary consumers include larger fish and marine mammals. Productivity in the case of phytoplankton is very heavy, but the biomass of the zooplankton at any time can exceed the value of phytoplankton, giving an inverted pyramid of biomass.

Freshwater biomass pyramid: Algae are the primary producers in many freshwater systems, such as in lakes and rivers. In many instances, the next link in the food chain is made up of zooplankton, which feed on the algae. The zooplankton then provide food for primary consumers or insect larvae. These insect larvae are then consumed by fish, which in turn become the secondary consumer. The great turnover of algae may sometimes lead to inverted biomass pyramids, as in marine systems, and in most cases, it normally becomes upright.

Factors Affecting Biomass

A variety of factors affect biomass in an ecosystem. These may be abiotic or environmental factors. Light availability, temperature conditions, and water supply are some significant factors that determine the rate of photosynthesis in producers and consequently affect the biomass produced. Favorable conditions enhance the potential of growth rates while the extremes can lead to reduced productivity.

Human activities have large effects on biomass dynamics. Invasions of alien trees increase biomass to negative changes in the system of biomass management. Deforestation decreases biomass through habitat destruction and reduction in photosynthetic capacity. Agricultural land use may enhance or reduce biomass depending on the management practices applied.

How Important Is The Pyramid Of Biomass?

• The pyramid of biomass is utilised as a measure of energy flow and indicates the level of organisation within an ecosystem.

• The Pyramid Biomass gives a graphic representation of energy-performing stages. It depicts the low-level decrease of biomass at mountaintops and shows energy transfer efficiencies from the producer to the consumer.

• The Pyramid of Biomass helps to study the balance and health of ecology.

• Analysis of how the biomass is spread out through the trophic levels tells us the structure and steadiness of the respective ecosystems.

• The Pyramid of Biomass guides conservation action by determining the most critical level of trophic influence and an understanding of biomass dynamics.

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