Summary Table

Total
Role in food
Trophic level number of
chain
organisms

1 Producer 2505

Primary
2 1171
consumer

Secondary
3 281
consumer

Tertiary
4 175
consumer
A PYRAMID OF NUMBERS FOR A FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM

TASK:
The results in the table are from a sample taken from a small stream.
1. Using the information given, assign each organism its trophic level and enter this into the
table. *If you are not sure about what some organisms are, you are encouraged to search
for them online.

2. Create random numbers of the organisms found on this ecosystem and write that
information in the table.

3. In the summary table you need to add up all the organism at each trophic level – e.g. there
are 5 pieces of Canadian pondweed, and 2500 duckweed plants. Both are in trophic level 1
(producers). In the summary table you need to enter 2500 + 5 = 2505 producers.

4. Do this for each trophic level and then draw a bar graph of the summary table. Cut out each
column and then stick them, in order, onto another piece of paper to produce a pyramid of
numbers, with trophic level 1 at the bottom, and 4 at the top.

Trophic levels:
Plants= producer 1
Seed shrimps= primary 2
 consumer
Bloodworms= primary
2
consumer
Flatworms= tertiary consumer 4
Leeches= secondary consumer 3
Freshwater shrimps= primary
2
consumer
Water hoglouse= primary
2
consumer
Water fleas= primary consumer 2
Cyclops= primary consumer 2
Blackfly larvae= primary
2
consumer
Mayfly nymphs= primary
2
consumer
Water beetles= secondary
3
consumer
Phantom midge larvae=
3
secondary consumer
Dragonfly/damselfly nymphs=
3
secondary consumer
Caddis fly larvae= primary
2
consumer
Pond skaters= secondary
3
consumer
Lesser waterboatman= primary
2
consumer
Greater waterboatman=
2
primary consumer
Tadpoles= primary consumer 2
Newts= tertiary consumer 4

Organism Number Trophic

found level

Elodea
5 1
(pondweed)
Duckweed
2500 1

Cyclops 400 2

Water fleas 350 2

Water hoglouse 30 2

Freshwater
27 2
shrimps
 Phantom midge
60 3
larvae

Bloodworms 70 2

Blackfly larvae 80 2

Pondskater 90 3

Lesser
100 2
waterboatman

Greater
20 2
waterboatman

Mayfly nymphs 45 2

Dragonfly nymphs 89 3

Leeches 24 3

Newts 105 4

Tadpoles 23 2

Water beetle 18 3

Cased caddisfly
15 2
larvae

Seed shrimps 11 2

Flatworms 70 4

4.