First pyramid- Charles Elton in the 1920s

Raymond Lindeman in 1940s

What is an ecological pyramid?
A quantitative summary of the feeding relationships and
energy transfer through an ecosystem. They compare
seasonal variation in an ecosystem, changes in an
ecosystem and different ecosystems.
Pyramids of numbers
These are based on counting the numbers of organisms
at each trophic level. The number of organisms at each
trophic level is represented as a rectangle whose area is
proportional to the number of organisms in a given area.
The organisms in a given area are counted and a
progressive decrease in the number of organisms at each
trophic level is calculated.
It is generally easy to collect the data needed to
construct the pyramids. However certain problems still
arise:
Producers vary greatly in size but something as
small as algae is given the same status as a tree. This is
why the true pyramid shape is not always obtained.
Sometimes the range between trophic levels are so
different that it is difficult to draw them to scale. In such a
case, a logarithmic scale may be used but close attention
must be paid when interpreting it.

 It is hard to determine the trophic level of an

organisms
Some organisms are only present at certain times of
the day
Pyramids of biomass
The total mass of the organisms is estimated for each
trophic level. The organisms used to represent the
estimates are weighed and the numbers recorded. When
collecting data for pyramids of biomass its best to use dry
masses. The rectangles therefore represent the mass of
organisms in each trophic level per unit area or volume.
The biomass at the time of sampling is known as standing
biomass or standing crop biomass. Pyramids of biomass
do not give any indication of the rare of productivity or
consumption. The methods for collecting data for these
pyramids are costly and extensive and some organisms
are difficult or impossible to catch to weigh.
Pyramids of energy
The organisms are burned and heat energy is measured
using a calorimeter
The most fundamental and ideal (though very timely and
extensive due to multiple calculations) way of
representing the organisms in different trophic levels. The
advantages are:
These pyramids take into consideration the rate of
productivity as opposed to the other 2 types which take

the states of organisms at a standing time. Each

rectangle depicts the amount of energy per unit area or
volume that flows through that tropic level at a particular
time.
It allows not only for different ecosystems to be compared
but it compares the importance of populations within the
ecosystem relative to each other
Pyramids of energy show the solar energy input at the
beginning of the pyramid as a rectangle.
Pyramids of energy are the most useful. However they
are the most difficult to obtain data for due to the
quantity of measurements they require such as the
energy values for given masses of organisms. The
sample of organisms required is combusted.
Problems with ecological pyramids
1. As many organisms feed at different trophic levels
it is difficult to identify which trophic level an organism is
at.
2. The ecological pyramids do not take into
consideration that all plants can be eaten and digested
by herbivores since they contain chlorophyll. Most
herbivores are incapable of digesting the chlorophyll and
others only eat fruit producing plants. Therefore it is
inappropriate to group all plants as producers.