Energy Pyramid
Energy flow through an ecosystem can be shown as an energy pyramid,
representing the biomass (kilograms per square meter) of trophic levels.
Typically, 10% of the energy at each level is converted to biomass at the next higher level.
Thus, producers yield
- 10% of its energy to primary consumers
- 1% of its energy to secondary consumers
- 0.1% of its energy to tertiary consumers
- Do you prefer to eat smaller fish like sardines, or larger fish such as swordfish and tuna?
- Large fish are top-level consumers.
Toxins such as mercury from lower trophic levels accumulate in fat tissue of predators and become more concentrated.