Question

Which of the following contains consumers with least biomass?
A.Snakes
B.Frogs
C.Crickets
D.Green plants

Answer 1

Hint: 1. Biomass is the total mass of biological organisms at a given trophic level.
2.Consumers occupy the top levels in a pyramid of biomass.

Complete answer:
In a food chain in an ecosystem, there are four trophic levels as represented in the diagram above. The biomass decreases as the trophic level increases.
Let us analyze the options to find out the correct option.

Option A: Snake lies at the top of a food pyramid. It is a tertiary consumer and contains least or negligible biomass. Hence, this is the correct option.

Option B: Frogs are secondary consumers which eat crickets in a food chain. They have more biomass than snakes. Hence, this is an incorrect option.

Option C: Crickets are primary consumers. They eat the producers i.e the green plants. They have more biomass than frogs. Hence, this is an incorrect option.

Option D: Green plants are the producers. They utilize the sun’s energy to produce food by photosynthesis. They have the maximum biomass. Hence., this is an incorrect option.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A)

Note: The shape of the pyramid of biomass is upright which means that the lowest level i.e. the producers have the highest biomass. The biomass is inversely proportional to the energy density at a particular trophic level. The energy density is lowest for producers as it is spread out and hence they have the highest biomass. Whereas consumers at the highest levels have high energy density and lower biomass.