Q27. Pyramid of which of the following is inverted?
(A) The pyramid of biomass in sea
(B) The pyramid of numbers in grassland
(C) The pyramid of biomass in terrestrial food chain
(D) The pyramid of nu

Question

Q27. Pyramid of which of the following is inverted?
(A) The pyramid of biomass in sea
(B) The pyramid of numbers in grassland
(C) The pyramid of biomass in terrestrial food chain
(D) The pyramid of number of insects feeding on a
big tree
Choose the correct answer from the options given
below:
(a) (A) and (D) only
(b) (A) and (B) only
(c) (C) and (D) only
(d) (B) and (C) only

FirstInTest · Accepted Answer

Correct answer: a. Ecological pyramids illustrate the trophic structure of an ecosystem. An inverted pyramid means that the biomass or number of organisms at a lower trophic level is less than that at a higher trophic level.
*   **(A) The pyramid of biomass in sea:** This pyramid is often **inverted**. Phytoplankton (producers) have a very short lifespan and high turnover rate, meaning their standing crop biomass at any given time is much smaller than the biomass of the zooplankton and small fish (primary and secondary consumers) that feed on them.
*   **(B) The pyramid of numbers in grassland:** This pyramid is typically upright, with a large number of individual producers (grasses) supporting fewer herbivores and carnivores.
*   **(C) The pyramid of biomass in terrestrial food chain:** Generally, this pyramid is upright, with a large biomass of producers (plants) supporting progressively smaller biomasses at higher trophic levels.
*   **(D) The pyramid of number of insects feeding on a big tree:** This pyramid is **inverted**. A single large tree (producer) can support a huge number of herbivorous insects (primary consumers).
Therefore, (A) and (D) are examples of inverted pyramids.

Related Questionsin Biology / Ecology

Practice More CUET UG Questions