pyramid of biomass

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pyramid of biomass A diagrammatic expression of biomass at different trophic levels in an ecosystem, usually plotted as dry matter or calorific value per unit area or volume. Typically this gives a gradually sloping pyramid, except where the sizes of organisms vary dramatically from one trophic level to another. In this case, the higher metabolic rate of the smaller organisms may result in a greater biomass of consumers than of producers, giving an inverted pyramid. Aquatic communities in winter typically show inverted biomass pyramids. Compare pyramid of energy and pyramid of numbers; see also ecological pyramid.

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