Trophic levels

What is a trophic level?

A trophic level is the position an organism occupies in a food chain, such as producer, primary consumer, or secondary consumer.

What are producers in a food chain?

Producers are organisms, typically plants or algae, that produce their own food through photosynthesis.

What are primary consumers?

Primary consumers are herbivores that feed on producers.

What are secondary consumers?

Secondary consumers are carnivores or omnivores that feed on primary consumers.

What are tertiary consumers?

Tertiary consumers are predators that feed on secondary consumers.

What is a food chain?

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms where each is eaten by the next organism in the chain.

What is a food web?

A food web is a network of interconnected food chains within an ecosystem.

How does energy transfer between trophic levels?

Energy is transferred when one organism is eaten by another, but energy is lost as heat at each trophic level.

What is the 10% rule in energy transfer?

The 10% rule states that only about 10% of the energy at one trophic level is transferred to the next level.

Why is energy lost between trophic levels?

Energy is lost through respiration, heat, and movement, which is not passed on to the next trophic level.

What is a pyramid of numbers?

A pyramid of numbers shows the number of organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

What is a pyramid of biomass?

A pyramid of biomass shows the total mass of living organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

What is a pyramid of energy?

A pyramid of energy shows the amount of energy at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

Why do ecosystems have fewer tertiary consumers than producers?

Tertiary consumers are higher in the food chain and have less energy available due to energy loss at each level.

How do trophic levels relate to the efficiency of ecosystems?

The efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels affects ecosystem productivity and the amount of energy available for higher trophic levels.