Elton's pyramid of numbers

Elton's pyramid of numbers illustrates the population levels of organisms at each stage of an ecosystem. It shows that there are often many producers (plants), fewer herbivores (animals that eat plants), and even fewer predators (top carnivores). The pyramid shape indicates how the number of organisms tends to decrease as you move up the food chain, because energy transfer is inefficient and resources are limited. This model helps us understand the structure and balance of ecosystems, highlighting that smaller populations exist at higher trophic levels due to energy and resource constraints.