Define the term trophic level.
An ecologist sampled a section of a deciduous woodland and recorded the following data:
Draw and label a pyramid of numbers representing this woodland ecosystem.
The ecologist conducted this census during the mid-summer. Suggest why the population of caterpillars would be significantly lower if sampled in late winter.
While the pyramid of numbers for this woodland is non-standard, a pyramid of biomass for the same ecosystem remains standard (broadest at the base). Explain why biomass decreases at each successive trophic level.
