A biomass pyramid is a graphical representation of the total amount of live biomass or organic matter present at different trophic levels in an ecosystem, as represented by different colours.
For the sake of this equation, biomass is defined as the mass of live creatures present at each trophic level in a given sample size. It can be expressed as dry weight in grammes or as calories per unit area of surface area, respectively. Biomass is measured with the help of a bomb calorimeter.
A biological organism’s trophic level refers to the exact position that it has in a food chain or food web.
Biomass pyramids are arranged so that producers (1st trophic level) are at the bottom, followed by herbivores (primary consumers), and finally carnivores (secondary and tertiary consumers) at the top.
The movement of energy from producers to consumers is depicted by the biomass energy pyramid. We know that only 10% of the energy is transmitted to the next trophic level and that the remainder is either used for metabolic activities or excreted out of the body.
An Ecosystem Model of Grassland Using a Pyramid of Biomass
Grasses are at the bottom of the food chain and have the highest biomass, followed by herbivores such as rabbits, rats, and other rodents. The primary consumers are followed by secondary consumers (such as owls, lizards, snakes, and so on), and finally tertiary consumers (such as birds of prey, eagles, etc.)
As the biomass of organisms is calculated by multiplying the biomass of organisms by the number of organisms present at each trophic level, we can see that the biomass of grass is significantly greater than the biomass of primary consumers, and that the biomass of secondary and tertiary consumers decreases further sequentially.
A Tree Ecosystem’s Biomass Pyramid
When compared to the number pyramid, the biomass pyramid provides a more accurate representation of energy flow. Example: In a tree ecosystem, the number pyramid does not display a perfect pyramid since a single oak tree can support hundreds of insects, which are ultimately consumed by a very small number of birds.
It all starts with the oaktree (the producer) and ends with the caterpillar/insects (the primary consumer) (Secondary consumer). The biomass pyramid is more clearly portrayed and is more erect in this illustration.
An Example of a Marine Ecosystem’s Biomass Pyramid
The biomass pyramid of an aquatic ecosystem is skewed to the wrong side. The biomass of primary producers is substantially lower than the biomass of zooplanktons, which is lower than the biomass of small fish and large fish, which have the highest biomasses. You may be perplexed as to how this is feasible, and how fewer phytoplanktons may still maintain an adequate amount of energy flow in the ecosystem.
Conclusion
Therefore it can be concluded, it is because phytoplanktons have a higher reproducibility and a shorter lifespan than other organisms that, although their biomass is lower at any given moment, it is constantly replenished in order to meet the rising demand of zooplankton and larger fish.