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Ecological Pyramids MCQ - Practice Questions with Answers

Edited By admin | Updated on Sep 18, 2023 18:34 AM | #NEET

Quick Facts

_____ is the graphical representation of the strength in numerical terms of diverse populations in trophic levels per unit area of the ecosystem

Net primary productivity

Pyramids of Biomass

Pyramids of Energy

Pyramids of Number

Given below is an ecological pyramid.

The above pyramid represents

Pyramid of numbers of a parasitic food chain and pyramid of biomass of a pond ecosystem.

Pyramid of number of a pond ecosystem and pyramid of biomass of a forest ecosystem

Pyramid of energy of a grassland and pyramid of biomass of an open ocean ecosystem.

Pyramid of biomass of a grassland and pyramid of number of a tropical forest ecosystem.

Pyramid of Numbers

There is some sort of relationship between the numbers, biomass and energy contents of the producers and consumers of different orders in any ecosystem.
These relationships, when represented in diagrammatic ways, are referred to as ecological pyramids.

Pyramid of Numbers:

The pyramid of numbers deals with the relationship between the numbers of primary producers and consumers of different orders.
In all cases, the base of such a pyramid always represents the numbers of primary producers and the subsequent structures on this base are represented by the number of consumers of successive levels, the top representing the number of top carnivores in that ecosystem.
The shape of the pyramid of numbers may be upright or inverted.
In a cropland ecosystem:
- the numbers of crop plants shown at the base of the pyramid are very large;
- the numbers of grasshoppers are usually less than the numbers of green plants;
- numbers of frogs is lesser than the number of grasshoppers and
- the number of top carnivores is the least in the series of organisms
But in an inverted pyramid of numbers the number of primary consumers (herbivorous birds feeding upon the tree fruits) is always greater than the number of primary producers (a tree), and the number of parasites living and feeding upon the bird’s body is still greater.