Question

Analyze an Energy Pyramid Only about 10 percent of the energy from each level of an energy pyramid is available to the trophic level above it. (The rest is used to power life processes or is lost as heat.) If the primary producers have 10,000 units of stored energy, how much energy would you expect to be transfered to first-level, second-level, and third-level consumers?

Answer 1

The problem tells us that only about 10 percent of the energy of one level is available to the level above it.

So if the primary producers have 10,000 units of stored energy, only 10% would be available for the first level:

• 10,000 * 10/100 = 1,000 energy units are available for the first-level consumers.

For the second-level consumers:

• 1,000 * 10/100 = 100 energy units are available for the second-level consumers

For the third-level consumers:

• 100 * 10/100 = 10 energy units are available for third-level consumers.