Which one of the following statements is incorrect about ecological p…

The correct answer is Option (2) → Saprophytes are given top place in ecological pyramids.

Option (1) Pyramids of energy is always upright. — A correct statement. At each step only about 10 per cent of the energy passes to the next level, and the rest is lost as heat. So every higher level has less energy, and the pyramid can never be inverted.

Option (2) Saprophytes are given top place in ecological pyramids. — An incorrect statement. Saprophytes (decomposers) feed on dead matter from every level, so they do not fit into any one trophic level. They are given no place at all in ecological pyramids, though they play an important role in the ecosystem.

Option (3) Pyramids of number can be inverted in the terrestrial ecosystem. — A correct statement. A single large tree can support many insects, which in turn support even more small parasites. Then the base is narrower than the levels above, and the pyramid of number is inverted.

Option (4) It doesn’t take into account the same species belonging to two or more trophic levels. — A correct statement. A pyramid places each species at one level only. But one species can feed at two or more levels, as a sparrow that eats both seeds and insects. This is a limitation of the pyramids.

Note: The same question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2025 on 03-06-2025 (Slot 2).

NCERT Extract:
Ecological Pyramids – …