Question

In the upright pyramid of biomass, herbivores occupy the position
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4

Answer 1

Hint: In an upright pyramid of biomass, producers occupy the base followed by primary consumers or herbivores. Secondary and tertiary consumers are towards the apex.

Step by step answer: The living and dead tissues in an ecosystem are known as biomass. The total biomass at each trophic level is represented by a graphical representation known as the pyramid of biomass. In an ecosystem, the biomass should decrease at a particular trophic level of the food chain.
In a pyramid of biomass, the base represents the producers or the first trophic level and the apex represents the tertiary or top consumer. Herbivores represent the second in the pyramid. The pyramid of biomass in a grassland ecosystem is always upright. This pyramid is upright because the number of secondary consumers or carnivores are less in number as compared to primary consumers or herbivores at the base of the pyramid. In this ecosystem, the biomass of secondary consumers is less as compared to others. Whereas the pyramid of biomass is inverted in the case of a pond ecosystem because the number of secondary consumers (large fishes) are more as compared to the primary consumers.
Hence, the correct answer is option B.

Additional information: In the pyramid of energy, only 10 % of energy is transferred at each trophic level and the remaining 90% is dissipated in the form of heat. This phenomenon is known as the 10% law.

Note: Pyramids of biomass in a terrestrial or forest ecosystem are always upright because the amount of biomass decreases from herbivores to top carnivores.