The Energy Pyramid

Notes= green
 Energy Pyramid
• The energy pyramid is a way to classify
levels of energy in an ecosystem.
– It is similar to a food pyramid in the way that
the higher up the pyramid you go, the fewer
things belong in that group.
– As you step up each section of the energy
pyramid, some energy is lost due to the
organism using it to live. Only the stored
energy is passed on.
Example
• Note the pyramid
on the left. At the
bottom are
thousands of
plankton. As you
move up the
pyramid, all those
plankton end up
supplying energy
to just one shark!
 The math
• A very important part of understanding the
energy pyramid is seeing how the energy
transfers from the bottom level to the top
level.

• Refer to pg 313 math break in your book

for this problem!
 The question:
• Draw an energy pyramid for a river
ecosystem that contains four levels-
aquatic plants, insect larvae, bluegill fish,
and a largemouth bass. The aquatic plants
obtain 10,000 units of energy from the
sun. If each level uses 90% of the energy
it receives from the previous level, how
many units of energy are available for the
largemouth bass.
Let’s break the question down…
• What’s it about?
– Draw an energy pyramid for a river ecosystem
that contains four levels- aquatic plants, insect
larvae, bluegill fish, and a largemouth bass.
The aquatic plants obtain 10,000 units of
energy from the sun. If each level uses 90%
of the energy it receives from the previous
level, how many units of energy are available
for the largemouth bass.
• There are 4 levels! Each is labeled.
• Now how much energy is being used?
– Draw an energy pyramid for a river ecosystem
that contains four levels- aquatic plants, insect
larvae, bluegill fish, and a largemouth bass.
The aquatic plants obtain 10,000 units of
energy from the sun. If each level uses 90%
of the energy it receives from the previous
level, how many units of energy are available
for the largemouth bass.
• So plants start with 10,000 and each level uses
90%.
• What am I looking for?
– Draw an energy pyramid for a river ecosystem
that contains four levels- aquatic plants, insect
larvae, bluegill fish, and a largemouth bass.
The aquatic plants obtain 10,000 units of
energy from the sun. If each level uses 90%
of the energy it receives from the previous
level, how many units of energy are available
for the largemouth bass.
• The units from the biggest organism: the bass!
 How to set it up:
• I like to draw a table Sunlight Produces 10,000 units
to enter the Plants get=
information like this.
Plants use 90%=

Insects get=

Insects use 90%=

Bluegill get=

Bluegill use 90%=

Bass get=
 Step by step
Sunlight Produces 10,000 units Now I just do the
Plants get=
math for each step.
10,000
There are two types
Plants use 90%= 9,000 of math problems for
each step. Finding
Insects get= 1,000
the percentage used
Insects use 90%= 900 and subtracting that
from the amount
Bluegill get=
100 received to find what
Bluegill use 90%= 90
was passed on!

Bass get=
10 units