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Explain why a pyramid of numbers can be different than a pyramid of energy for the

same food chain.

User Assaf Gamliel
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1 Answer

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26 votes

Answer:

Explanation down below!

Step-by-step explanation:

Well, the food chain refers to the chain of consumption of the organisms in the ecosystem which nutrients and energy pass, as one organism eats another. For instance, the plant gets consumed by the herbivores or omnivores, e.g. like rabbit, then the rabbit gets preyed on by the snake, the snake got consumed by the hawk, then the hawk dies, worms and maggots, feed off from the carcass, and eventually the remains/decays return to the soil as additional nutrient or fertilizer. The whole process repeats itself over and over again.

Energy pyramid, refers to the "pyramid" of energy consumption basically. The pyramid is divided into groups and their amount of consumption and production of energy. With producers (such as plants), primary consumers ( such as herbivores), secondary consumers ( such as carnivores) and tertiary consumers (and carnivores). The same example above can be given, from the plant to the hawk. However, the energy pyramid considers the energy transfer as one organism eats another.

Hope this helps <3

User Desire
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