An ecological pyramid is a graphical representation that illustrates the structure and functioning of an ecosystem by showing the distribution of energy, biomass, or the number of organisms across different trophic levels

. Each level of the pyramid corresponds to a trophic level in the food chain:

• The base consists of producers (such as plants and algae), which generate energy through photosynthesis.
• The next level is made up of primary consumers (herbivores) that feed on producers.
• Above them are secondary consumers (small carnivores) that eat herbivores.
• The pyramid may continue with tertiary consumers (larger carnivores) and ends with apex predators at the top

There are three main types of ecological pyramids:

• Pyramid of Numbers: Shows the number of individual organisms at each trophic level

• Pyramid of Biomass: Represents the total mass of living matter at each level

• Pyramid of Energy: Illustrates the flow of energy through each level, showing how energy decreases as it moves up the food chain

Ecological pyramids are usually upright, reflecting the loss of energy and biomass at each successive level, but exceptions exist depending on the ecosystem

. These pyramids help ecologists understand energy flow, population structure, and the overall health of ecosystems