What does the energy pyramid illustrate?

The energy pyramid illustrates the energy flow through an ecosystem, showing how energy decreases as it moves up from the producers to various levels of consumers. It typically starts with the sun providing energy to plants (producers), which convert that solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis. As you move up the pyramid, energy is passed to herbivores (primary consumers) and then to carnivores (secondary and tertiary consumers). However, at each level, there is a significant loss of energy, primarily due to metabolic processes, heat loss, and inefficiencies in energy transfer. This concept emphasizes that energy is not fully available at higher trophic levels, which affects the number of organisms that can be supported at each level. The energy pyramid visually represents these dynamics, making it easier to understand how energy moves and diminishes within an ecosystem.