ABSTRACT
Taking this further, Leopold introduces the concept of the ‘Land Pyramid’: ‘The bottom layer is the soil. A plant layer rests on the soil, an insect layer on the plants, a bird and rodent layer on the insects, and so on up through various animal groups to the apex layer, which consists of the larger carnivores . . . Each successive layer depends on those below it for food and often for other services, and each in turn furnishes food and services to those above.’
