z

ECOLOGICAL
PYRAMIDS AND
ENERGY FLOW
z
WHICH IS THE TOP PREDATOR?
 z
ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS

 PYRAMID OF NUMBERS – represent the

number of organisms in each trophic level in a
food chain.
 PYRAMID OF MASS – shows total mass of
organisms in each trophic level, irrespective of
their numbers.
 z
Grass -> Grasshopper -> Bird

PYRAMID OF NUMBERS PYRAMID OF MASS

 z
Oak Tree -> Aphids ->Ladybirds -> Bird

PYRAMID OF NUMBERS PYRAMID OF MASS

 Supposed the bird in the food chain are parasite by
z nematode worms, What will be the appearance both of
the pyramids?

PYRAMID OF NUMBERS PYRAMID OF MASS

z
z
 A single elephant consumes many acacia trees. On the elephant’s skin are many
parasitic lice and each of the lice has many parasitic nematode worms in its gut.
z

 Make a food chain

from above’s scenario.
 Create a Pyramid of
Numbers
 Create a Pyramid of
Mass
 FACTORS THAT AFFECT NUMBER OF
z
ORGANISMS

ABIOTIC FACTOR BIOTIC FACTOR

z

 Look at the food web, Who does

the Maned Geese depend on for
survival?

 Using the same food web, which

organism may not increase in
population if all the frogs were
removed from this ecosystem?

 which organisms would be affected

if the algae were to overproduce