Food Pyramid of the Temperate Rainforest
How Much Energy is Transferred?
The Pyramid allows for 10% of the energy to be passed on, while 90% is lost to the environment. Primary producers consist of trees, shrubs, and grasses and receive 100 % of the energy from the sun. Primary consumers include slugs, snails, and other insects and small mammals and receive 10% of the original energy. Deers are also included in this group. Secondary consumers include birds, frogs, and foxes and receive 1% of the original energy. Tertiary consumers such as bears and cougars eat these smaller consumers and are primarily carnivores and receive 0.1% of the original energy from the sun.
Why a Lack of Species?
The lack of species is due to colder temperatures in the temperate rainforests compared to tropical rainforests. Also due to lower temperatures, chemical reactions take longer to take place which means plant life takes longer to regrow.