Which concept is typically illustrated to show the flow of energy within an ecosystem?

Energy flow pyramids are used to illustrate how energy moves through different trophic levels in an ecosystem. These pyramids visually represent the amount of energy available at each level, starting from primary producers at the base, followed by primary consumers, secondary consumers, and so on. This visualization emphasizes that energy decreases as it moves up the food chain due to losses at each level from metabolic processes and heat.

The concept of energy flow is crucial because it helps to understand not just who eats whom, but also the efficiency of energy transfer between levels of an ecosystem. For instance, in an energy pyramid, it is typically shown that only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is available to the next. Thus, energy flow pyramids provide essential insights into energy availability and sustainability in ecosystems.