ENERGY PYRAMID
ENERGY/FOOD PYRAMIDS show a few things, including the proportion of each animal in the environment. As the diagram shows, there will be less tertiary consumers because each organism receives 10% of the energy available before it consumes its food. For example, autotrophs can use 100% of the energy they consume. Then an animal, such as a grub, consumes the bamboo and can only use 10% of the energy from it, etc. Because there is not enough energy left for a proportional amount of jaguars to grubs, the pyramid shape is created. The way the consumers are differentiated is due to their main source of energy or diet. The grub is a herbivore, or only eats plants. The mountain gorilla, found in the secondary consumers category, is an omnivore, or eats plant matter and meat in order to survive. The jaguar is a carnivore, or eats only meat. This works because of the jaguar's adaptations, allowing it to be stealthy, quick, and lethal.