Ecological pyramid: Definition, Type and limitations

Define Ecological Pyramid

• Ecological pyramid is a mathematical-statistical tool to analyze the food chain in terms of the amount of energy stored, the number of organisms supported and the amount of biomass stored per unit area in a given interval of time.
• It is graphically represented through the tropic level.

Types of Ecological Pyramid

There are three types of pyramids:

1. Pyramid of energy – Is always upright
2. Pyramid of number – can be both upright and inverted
3. Pyramid of biomass – can be both upright and inverted.

Limitations of the Ecological Pyramid

• It does not take food webs into consideration.
• Only applies to ordinary food chains
• Saprophytes are not admitted in any pyramids.