feeding relationships

how many trophic levels are there and what are they called

there are 4 trophic levels

1- producers

2-primary consumers

3-secondary consumers

4-tertiary consumers

define producers

organisms that make their own food using photosynthesis

define primary consumers

organisms that eat producers (also known as herbivore)

define secondary consumers

organisms that eat primary consumers (also known as carnivores)

define tertiary consumers

organisms that eat tertiary consumers (also known as top predators)

what are decomposers

micro organisms that break down dead matter

what is a food chain

shows what is eaten by what

what is a food web

shows how food chains are interconnected

what are the three pyramids

pyramid of numbers

pyramid of biomass

pyramid of energy transfer

define pyramid of numbers

shows the number of organisms in each trophic level

define pyramid of biomass

shows the total mass without water of all organisms in each trophic level

define pyramid of energy transfer

shows the energy flow per year

along a food chain, how is energy lost

respiration (heat loss)

exercise

excretion

not eating all parts of the organism