energy pyramid
Food chain levels
An energy pyramid is a diagram showing how energy flows through an ecosystem, with producers (plants) at the base and successive levels of consumers above.
Each level contains less energy than the one below it—typically about 10%—because energy is lost as heat at each transfer.
The pyramid shape illustrates why ecosystems support fewer predators than prey: The energy pyramid explains why there are more rabbits than wolves.
- trophicRelating to feeding
- producersThose who create goods
- consumersThose who buy goods
- decomposersOrganisms breaking down dead material
- biomassLiving material in aggregate
photosynthesis · herbivores · carnivores · apex predator · sun · transfer · ecosystem · nutrients · algae · plants · prey · predator · feeding · levels · base · top · efficiency · loss
- food websfood web, food chain, food chains, producer, consumer
- ecology modelsfood web, food chain, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, nutrient cycle
- energyelectricity, power, oil, fuel, gas
- diagramsflowchart, labeled diagram, Venn diagram, cross section, cross-section
energy pyramidfood web
Interconnected predator-prey relationships
nutrient cycle · food chain · carbon cycle · nitrogen cycle · water cycle
energy, pyramid, energies, energetic, energetically, energize, energized, energizing, energizer