▪ The relation between producers and consumers in an ecosystem can be graphically represented in the form of a pyramid called ecological pyramid.
▪ Structure: The base always represents the producers or the first trophic level and the apex represents top level consumer or the last trophic level.
▪ Ecological pyramids are of three types:
i. Pyramid of number
ii. Pyramid of biomass
iii. Pyramid of energy
i. Pyramid of number: The relationship between producers and consumers in an ecosystem can be represented in the form of a pyramid in terms of number called pyramid of number.
Pyramid of numbers in a grassland ecosystem
ii. Pyramid of biomass: The relationship between producers and consumers in an ecosystem can be represented in the form of a pyramid in terms of biomass called pyramid of biomass. It can be
a. Upright, e.g., in case of grassland ecosystem; or
b. Inverted, e.g., in case of pond ecosystem.
Pyramid of biomass shows a sharp decrease in biomass at higher trophic levels
iii. Pyramid of energy: The relationship between producers and consumers in an ecosystem can be represented in the form of a pyramid, in terms of flow of energy called pyramid of energy. It is always upright because energy is always lost as heat at each step.
