Question

In a pyramid of biomass, primary producers have a dry biomass of $809$ $kg/m^2$. The biomass at tertiary consumer level would be

• A. $809$ $kg/m^2$
• B. $1.5$ $kg/m^2$
• C. $11$ $kg/m^2$
• D. $37$ $kg/m^2$

Answer 1

The correct option is B $1.5$ $kg/m^2$

Amount of biomass in trophic levels
There is a sharp decrease in the biomass of each trophic level from producer to tertiary consumer in the pyramid of biomass of an ecosystem normally. If primary producers have a dry biomass of $809$ $kg/m^2$, then the biomass at primary consumers would be $37$ $kg/m^2$ because as per Lindeman’s law, $10\%$ energy (in the form of dry biomass) is passed on from one trophic level to the next. It can be said that nearly $90\%$ of energy is lost when energy moves from one trophic level to another. So biomass at secondary consumer level would be $11$ $kg/m^2$ and at tertiary consumer level would be $1.5$ $kg/m^2$.
Pictorial representation of the amount of biomass
Pictorial representation of the amount of biomass in trophic levels:
Final answer
(D) $1.5$ $kg/m^2$