Final answer:
In comparing the marine English Channel ecosystem and the terrestrial Silver Springs ecosystem, the former exhibits an inverted biomass pyramid due to rapid phytoplankton turnover, while the latter displays an upright biomass pyramid with greater biomass in primary producers.
Step-by-step explanation:
When examining the structure of ecosystems, pyramids of biomass and energy pyramids are two important models that illustrate the distribution of energy and mass through trophic levels. Let’s compare a marine ecosystem, such as the English Channel, with a terrestrial ecosystem, such as the Silver Springs ecosystem in Florida.
In the English Channel, the primary producers, phytoplankton, have a lower biomass (4 g/m²) compared to the zooplankton primary consumers (21 g/m²), leading to an inverted biomass pyramid. This inversion is due to the rapid consumption and high turnover rate of phytoplankton, despite their high productivity. Conversely, the Silver Springs ecosystem is an example of an upright biomass pyramid, where the biomass is greatest at the level of primary producers and decreases at higher trophic levels.
Energy pyramids, in contrast, are always upright since energy decreases as it moves up trophic levels. A certain amount of energy entering a trophic level is converted into biomass. This conversion process is not highly efficient; only a fraction of the energy is transferred from one level to the next, typically around 10%. Thus, with increasing trophic levels, there is a significant decrease in energy availability as well as biomass.