ecological pyramid

Fig. 141 Ecological pyramid . A hypothetical elcological pyramid for standing crop ontropical grassland. Figures in kcal m^-2yr^-1.

ecological pyramid

a graphical means of illustrating the trophic structure or trophic function of communities. They are of three general types:

the PYRAMID OF NUMBERS, which illustrates the numbers of organisms at each TROPHIC LEVEL (see Fig. 263 ).
the pyramid of BIOMASS, based on DRY WEIGHT (or occasionally live weight) at each level at a given time.
the pyramid of energy which shows the energy flow between each level. See FOOD CHAIN.

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They now understand that the entire industrial growth-worshipping society has brought us to the brink of ecological disaster and must be replaced by a new model that removes humans and their needs from the top of the ecological pyramid and places them on an equal footing with non-humans and the earth's natural systems.

The Climate Justice Movement Splits from Environmentalists

The standard textbook description of an ecological pyramid (or trophic pyramid) displays high-level predators at the top, occupying the smallest part of the pyramid, and phytoplankton at the bottom, occupying the largest part of the pyramid.

The Ross Sea: Dr David Ainley describes the Ross Sea in Antarctica, a rich biodiversity hotspot and perhaps the last remaining ocean on earth where top predators abound and drive the ecosystem. But industrial fishing, with New Zealand companies being major participants, threatens to destroy this unique ocean habitat and its abundant life

With its position at the top of the ecological pyramid, the tiger is the symbol of India's wealth of wildlife.