Pyramids of Numbers and Biomass

Pyramids of numbers illustrate how many organisms are in each trophic level of the food chain.
The individuals are typically represented by blocks, and the size of each block is proportional to the number of organisms within that particular trophic level.
As you move up the pyramid, the number often decreases, because less energy is available at higher levels.
The first level, known as the producer level, generally has the highest number of organisms as they form the base of the ecosystem
One thing to keep in mind is that pyramids of numbers are not necessarily pyramid-shaped. If a large organism feeds on many small organisms, the pyramid would appear inverted.
Pyramids of biomass, on the other hand, represent the total mass of living material within each trophic level (expressed in mass per unit area or volume).
Unlike pyramids of numbers, pyramids of biomass are usually pyramid-shaped, because higher trophic levels contain less available energy and fewer organisms.
The biomass decreases from the producer level to the top carnivore level due to the loss of energy that happens when transferring from one trophic level to the next.
Only about 10% of energy is passed on to the next trophic level, which limits the number of trophic levels an ecosystem can support.
Drawing pyramids of biomass usually gives a more accurate representation of energy flow in an ecosystem than drawing pyramids of numbers.
Both pyramids are crucial for understanding energy loss and the balance of life within an ecosystem, which helps us comprehend the impact of human activities on such systems.
Misconceptions on these pyramids can be potentially misleading and could cause misunderstanding of the very core of ecosystem functioning.