3-D Energy Pyramids
Directions : On one of the blank energy pyramids do the following:
1. Label each level of the pyramid with the “1” at the top with the following terms starting from the bottom:
PLANTS HERBIVORES CARNIVORES/OMNIVORES CARNIVORES/OMNIVORES TOP PREDATOR
2. Label each level of the pyramid with the “2” at the top with the following terms starting from the bottom:
PRIMARY PRODUCER PRIMARY CONSUMER SECONDARY CONSUMER TERTIARY CONSUMER
QUATERNARY CONSUMER
3. Label each level of the pyramid with the “3” at the top with the following terms starting from the bottom:
AUTOTROPH 1st ORDER CONSUMER 2nd ORDER CONSUMER 3rd ORDER CONSUMER 4th ORDER CONSUMER
4. Using the other Blank Energy Pyramid you will choose 3 food chains from the given food webs to enter into the levels of the pyramid.
Be sure to choose food chains that include quaternary consumers. All levels of the pyramid must get filled in for full credit!
See Example Below:
Remember how to count in a food web or chain:
Start with “P”, then “1, 2, 3…”
Grass Trees – (P) producers
Insects – 1st Order Consumers
Bird – 2nd Order Consumer
Owl – 3rd Order Consumer
Lynx – 4th Order Consumer
The above is what I would write into the levels of the blank pyramid!
5. The 10% Rule – This rule in nature states that
only 10% of the energy stored in an organism is passed on to
the next organism that eats it. This means that as you go up a
level through the food chain, 10% gets passed on to the next trophic level. Ecosystems that follow the 10% rule are
SUSTAINABLE, and ecosystems that do not follow the rule are UNSUSTAINABLE and will fall apart. Copy the two tables
under your energy pyramids in your notebook and calculate the Percent of Energy Transferred from one level to the next in
each chart and determine if the ecosystem is sustainable or unsustainable. Draw the tables on page 27 in SNB
Trophic Level
1
2
3
4
Organism
Seaweed
Crabs
Penguin
Shark
Energy kcal/year
2000
200
20
.2
% Energy Transferred
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
For the next chart, use a side of one of your pyramids and plug in the organisms yourself. Then calculate the % of Energy Transferred.
Trophic Level
1
2
3
4
Organism
Energy kcal/year
900
95
9
.9
% Energy Transferred
6. Shade in the base of the pyramid “GREEN” to represent producers such as plants, grass, trees, algae.
7. Shade in the next level “YELLOW” to represent the herbivores (AKA – primary consumers, 1st order consumers).
8. Shade in the next level “BLUE” to represent the omnivores that eat plants and animals (AKA secondary consumers, 2nd order
consumers).
9. Shade in the next level “RED” to represent the carnivores that eat other animals (AKA – Tertiary consumers, 3rd order consumers).
10. Shade in the top level “PURPLE” to represent the top predator (AKA – Quaternary consumer, 4th Order consumer).
11. Tape one on page 27 and the other on page 28
You must start your Food chain with an organism that has “phyto” in
its name
Nanophytoplankton
Bacteria
Microzooplankton
Nanozooplankton
Krill
Emperor Penguins
Macrozooplankton
Phytoplankton
Small
Fish
Squid
Weddell Seal
Ross Seal
Adelie Penguins
Crabeater Seal
Large Fish
Toothed Whale
Leopard Seal
Baleen Whale
1. Cut along dotted lines. Stop if the line is no longer dotted!
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Fold along the three bolder diagonal lines
Fold the section that says “Energy Pyramid” down so you no longer see it.
Unfold all of the folds.
Glue THE BACK of where itsays “Energy Pyramid” and glue it onto the notebook page.
It can be laid flat when book is closed, and easily made 3D why referring to it.
Energy Pyramid
3
2
1
DO NOT WRITE
ON THIS SIDE!!