Consider the following statements and select the correct option stating which ones are true (T) and which ones are false (F).
(i) Pyramid of biomass is upright in the forest ecosystem and inverted in the grassland ecosystem.
(ii) Pyramid of numbers is inverted in grassland and upright in aquatic ecosystem.
(iii) Pyramid of energy depicts the rate of energy flow or productivity at successive trophic levels.
(iv) Ecological pyramids have no place for detritivores and decomposers though they play an important role in an ecosystem.
| (i) | (ii) | (iii) | (iv) | |
| (a) | F | F | T | T |
| (b) | T | F | T | T |
| (c) | F | T | F | F |
| (d) | T | F | F | T |
The graphical representation of biomass or bio-productivity of a food chain or ecosystem for each trophic level is called ecological pyramid. Pyramid of energy represent the flow of energy and the amount of energy at each trophic level. It is always upright.
Pyramid of numbers shows the count of population in each level for that ecosystem irrespective of the biomass content. Depending on the type of ecosystem the pyramid can be upright or not. For ecosystem having a single tree as producer and aquatic ecosystem, the number pyramid is inverted.
Ecological pyramids have no place for detritivores and decomposers though they play an important role in an ecosystem.
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