DATE: MAY 2014

CLASS: DIPLOMA BIOLOGY YEAR 12

Ecological Pyramids

NAME:

Juan David Uribe

Answer the following questions in the space provided.

1.

a) What kind of ecological pyramid is depicted in the above diagram?

a. A pyramid of Numbers
b. A pyramid of Energy
c. A pyramid of Biomass
b) Describe the shape of this ecological pyramid. Why doesnt this pyramid collapse even though
there are fewer organisms at the first trophic level than at the second trophic level?
The ecological pyramid has a shape that is very shallow on the bottom then creates a much wider
second level, and then it goes narrow and narrow as it goes up. Now, the ecosystem holds on because
one oak tree can hold all the caterpillars.
c) What happens to the energy stored in each trophic level as one moves up through the levels in the
pyramid?
The energy stored looses an approximate 10% of the energy when being tansfered to the next level.

DATE: MAY 2014

CLASS: DIPLOMA BIOLOGY YEAR 12

NAME:

2.

a) What kind of ecological pyramid is depicted in the above diagram? Provide a definition
explaining the nature of this pyramid.
This pyramid is a Biomass pyramid. It is a yramid that measures the amount (in mass) of every
consumer producer or others, in a Ecologic pyramid.
b) Describe two complications that can arise when biologists use a pyramid of biomas
In order for the biomass to be measured, the subject has to be dead. And the Biomass actually is
different from when it is alive.

3. A grassland ecosystem in Alberta receives 1500 kJ of sunlight. One food chain in this community
is depicted as follows:
grass grasshoppers blackbirds hawks
a) Draw an ecological pyramid that illustrates the transfer of energy in this community. Using the
rule of 10, determine the amount of energy that is stored at each trophic level. Include all relevant
labels.

DATE: MAY 2014

CLASS: DIPLOMA BIOLOGY YEAR 12

NAME:

b) A farmer sets up a buffalo farm in this ecosystem. Over time, the buffalo greatly reduce the grass
biomass in the community. Explain how the introduction of this new species could affect the amount
of energy transferred within the food chain that is shown above.
Since the Buffalo eats the grass, the energy that is supposed to be passed, gets lost, unbalancing the
rest of the pyramid.
4. On the rest of this handout, discuss this statement: Humans should all be vegetarians
MR, IM NOT SURE