Which one of the following is not used for construction of ecological pyramids ?

9 2006 AIPMT-PRE EcosystemEcological Pyramids Easy
Which one of the following is not used for construction of ecological pyramids ?
A Dry weight
B Number of individuals
C Rate of energy flow
D Fresh weight

Detailed Solution

An ecological pyramid is a graphic representation of the relationship between the successive trophic levels of an ecosystem.
There are three types of ecological pyramids.
The pyramid of numbers is based on the number of individuals at each trophic level.
The pyramid of biomass is based on the biomass at each trophic level, which is measured as dry weight.
The pyramid of energy is based on the rate of energy flow (energy per unit area per unit time) through each trophic level.
Fresh weight is not used, because the water content of organisms varies greatly from one organism to another and with conditions, so it does not give a true measure of the organic matter present.
So the one not used for the construction of ecological pyramids is fresh weight.

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