Question

“The pyramids of the biomass of the terrestrial ecosystem are always upright,” said Jyothsna. Do you agree with this statement or not? Give reason.

Answer 1

Hint: The biomass is the mass of biological organisms in a particular area or ecosystem at a particular time. Biomass can refer to species biomass, which is the mass of one or more species, or it can be referred to as community biomass, which is the mass of all species in the community which includes microorganisms, plants or animals.

Complete answer: Yes, I agree with the above-stated statement. In a terrestrial ecosystem such as a grassland ecosystem, the biomass decreases as we move from the lower trophic towards each higher trophic level i.e. from producers to primary consumers to secondary consumers. This occurs when producers like herbs and shrubs have the highest biomass as well as is higher than the animals which consume them. This then starts to decrease as we move towards a higher trophic level. The other two types of pyramids are pyramids of energy and pyramids of numbers. In the pyramid of energy, only 10% of the energy is passed onto the next trophic level, the remaining 90 % energy is lost in the form of heat. The pyramid of energy is also always upright.

Additional information: Different types of ecosystems:
a) The temperate deciduous: The main plant species in this biome are broad-leaved deciduous trees.
b) Grasslands: These are lands that are dominated by grasses with fewer shrubs and even lesser trees. There are two types of grasslands, the tropical grasslands and the temperate grasslands.
c) Taiga: The dominant trees in the taiga are coniferous or evergreen trees. They have a waxy layer that gives them protection from the cold and from drying out.
d) Tundra: It is known for its vast treeless plains, exceedingly low temperatures, and frost-laden landscapes. The Arctic tundra and the Alpine tundra are two types of tundra.

Note: Ecosystem involves the interaction between living and nonliving things that make up a geographical area. A terrestrial ecosystem is simply land-based. The other kind of ecosystem is known as an aquatic ecosystem. The pyramid of biomass is inverted in an aquatic ecosystem.