Biomass Pyramid Vs Energy Pyramid

Slight imbalance in the ecosystem might be hazardous and can have ill effects on all the living beings. Biomass pyramid and energy pyramid help us to know, if there is any kind of imbalance in the ecosystem. Below are cited brief explanations about biomass pyramid, energy pyramid and also biomass pyramid vs energy pyramid.

Biomass Pyramid vs Energy Pyramid - How they Work

Both, biomass and energy pyramids, are represented in pyramid form and hence, the name. Both of them are maximum at the base and they go on decreasing as the level moves upwards towards the apex. Biomass pyramids and energy pyramids are manners of clarifying the movement of biomass and energy through an ecosystem. This is based on the law of thermodynamics. Law of thermodynamics says that energy cannot be created nor destroyed; it can only be transferred from one form to the other. This law is used by both the pyramids. The ecosystem consists of different organisms or trophic levels, like producers which are plants, primary consumers which are the animals that eat the plants, next to them are the secondary consumers which consist of animals that eat animals consuming plants, tertiary animals which include all animals eating animals and the last ones are the decomposers.

Biomass Pyramid
There are two kinds of biomass pyramids; namely, inverted and upright. This pyramid basically shows the relation between biomass and the trophic levels. A biomass pyramid can be measured in calories per meter square or grams per meter square. It basically shows the productivity or the biomass at each trophic level. The biomass pyramid also helps in showing flow of energy accurately through each level; hence, it is also referred to as energy pyramid. Biomass pyramid consists of four basic levels, namely; primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers.

Energy Pyramid
An energy pyramid is divided into three trophic levels; namely, producers which are at the base of the pyramid, herbivores which are placed above the producers in the pyramid and carnivores which are at the apex of the pyramid. The energy pyramid is healthy, if the ecosystem or the environment is healthy, i.e. if there exists producers in large numbers, herbivores in moderate levels and carnivores in small numbers. There exists energy pyramid of aquatic creatures, amphibians, etc.

Biomass Pyramid vs Energy Pyramid in Brief

Biomass Pyramid	Energy Pyramid
It shows graphical representation of the relative amount of biomass at each trophic level.	It is a graphical representation of the trophic levels, by which the incoming solar energy is transferred to the ecosystem.
It expresses the total dry weight of the organisms existing in the trophic level.	It shows the total energy flow in the ecosystem.
There can be an inverted biomass pyramid.	There does not exist an inverted energy pyramid.
The organisms can be assigned easily to a particular trophic level in the biomass pyramid.	The assignment of creatures to a particular level in the energy pyramid is difficult.

In summary, we can conclude that in the biomass pyramid in case of producers, biomass decreases progressively from lower to higher levels, whereas in case of aquatic animals, it is inverted depending on their reproductivity and longevity. The energy pyramid indicates the flow of energy within the different levels of the pyramid, with the lower levels having more energy. Read more on biomass energy.

Hope, this article will help you in resolving the debate on biomass pyramid vs energy pyramid. After, reading through, you must have got sufficient idea both of these pyramids. We, human beings, if we take proper care of the environment, we can contribute to the well-being of the ecosystem, thus helping the pyramids to be balanced.