Name: Aaron Tang Per: 3

Biology
Building an Energy Pyramid

Standard Addressed: S.1.6 I can use mathematics and computational thinking to support claims
for the cycling of matter and flow of energy through trophic levels in an ecosystem.
Objectives: Students will construct an energy pyramid to show the flow of energy through a food web;
Students will calculate how much energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next trophic level.

Sub-Objective Beginning of Class End of Class

I can identify where each trophic level is represented in an energy 12 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
pyramid.
I can calculate how much energy is transferred up the energy 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
pyramid.
I can explain which trophic level has the largest and smallest 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
populations AND explain why.

Question: How do energy pyramids model energy transfer and population size within a food web? How
much energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next trophic level?

Materials: Energy Pyramid Template Large container

Food web 3 Cups
Energy Pyramid Student Data Sheet One 1 mL pipette
Calculator

Background: An energy pyramid illustrates how energy flows through an ecosystem. By showing the
trophic (feeding) levels of the ecosystem, it is easy to visualize how energy is transferred from autotrophs
(these are known as producers) to heterotrophs (these are known as consumers). Be aware of the rule of
10’s: only about 10% of energy at any given trophic level is transferred to the next. It is also important to note
that there is more energy available at the bottom end of the pyramid.

Procedure:
Part 1
1. Using the left side of Fig. 1 (the pyramid), label each level of the pyramid with the
appropriate term: producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary
consumer.
2. Using the right side of the pyramid, label each level of the energy pyramid with the
appropriate term: trophic level 1, trophic level 2, trophic level 3, trophic level 4.
3. Using the food web poster you have created, find ONE food chain that has four
organisms. Write the names of those organisms into the energy pyramid (inside the
pyramid itself).

Question 1: As mentioned in the background reading, a rule of 10’s exists within this pyramid
and is represented by using the pyramid shape (it starts of wide and narrows moving upward).
What does this imply about the amount of energy available in the third trophic level
compared to the amount of energy in the first trophic level?

There is less energy in trophic level 3

 Question 2: Considering the rule of 10’s, why does the pyramid narrow (what happens to the
energy)? The energy decreases as it goes up

Fig. 1
Energy Pyramid

Trophic level 4 Tertiary consumers

hawk

Trophic level 3 Secondary consumers

snake

Trophic level 2 Primary consumers

mice

Trophic level 1 plants autotrophs/Producers

 Part 2
1. Observe the experimental data in Table 1.
2. Write the names of the organisms you put into your energy pyramid in Part 1 into the
appropriate place on the table (using the examples column).
3. Calculate the percent of energy that is transferred from the first trophic level to the
second trophic level. To do this, divide the amount of energy from trophic level 1 by
trophic level 2, then multiply the answer by 100 to convert it into a percent. This is the
percent of energy transferred. Record this in the appropriate place in the data table.
4. Follow step 3 to complete the percent of energy transferred from trophic level 2 to
trophic level 3, and from trophic level 3 to trophic level 4.

Table 1

Trophic Level Organism Examples Energy Percent Energy

Kcal/m2/year Transferred
Trophic level 1 Producers plants

200 N/A

Trophic level 2 Primary consumers mice 9.8%

19.6

Trophic level 3 Secondary snake 1o.2%

consumers
2.0

Trophic level 4 Tertiary consumers hawk 9.5%

0.19

Question 1: In Table 1 above, does the calculated amount of energy transferred fit the Rule of
10%?

Explain how it does or does not: it does because its around 10%

Question 2: As we can see in Table 1, the amount of energy decreases moving from one trophic
level to the next. Why do you think this energy is lost? The energy is lost because higher
trophic levels don’t create its own energy

Question 3: We previously defined a population as a group of organisms of the same species

living in the same area. In which trophic level would you expect to find the
 a. largest populations? Level 1

b. The smallest populations? Tertiary

c. Explain your reason:

Part 3: Visual Representation

1. Using the 500 mL beaker, measure out 1000 mL of water into the larger container. I will add
a few drops of food coloring to it, which you will need to stir. The water in this larger
container represents the energy found in the first trophic level (producers).
2. Line up three cups. Looking at your calculations from Table 1, how much energy was
transferred from trophic level one to trophic level two? _______%. Pour that percentage
from the 1000 mL (example: 10% of 1000 is 100 mL) into the first cup.
3. How much energy was transferred from the second trophic level to the third level? _____%.
Pour that percentage from the first cup into the second cup.
4. Repeat for the fourth trophic level/cup 3.