energy pyramid

An energy pyramid illustrates how energy flows through an ecosystem. It shows different levels: at the bottom are producers like plants that get energy from the sun; above are primary consumers (herbivores), then secondary and tertiary consumers (carnivores). As energy moves up each level, a significant portion is lost—mainly as heat—so less energy is available at higher levels. This results in the pyramid shape. The energy decreases with each step, which explains why there are usually fewer top predators than many plants or herbivores. The pyramid helps visualize the efficiency and structure of energy transfer in nature.