Ecology- Trophic Levels

Producer

An autotroph that captures energy (sunlight) and makes its own food, e.g., plants.

Consumer

A heterotroph that must obtain its food from consuming other organisms.

Herbivore

A type of consumer that eats plants, e.g., zebras, giraffes, hippos.

Carnivore

A type of consumer that eats meat, e.g., lions.

Omnivore

A consumer that can eat both plants and meat, e.g., monkeys and humans.

Detritivore

An organism that gets energy from dead organic matter, such as earthworms, slugs, and dung beetles.

Decomposers

Organisms, like bacteria and fungi, that cause decay and recycle nutrients.

Food Chain

A linear path of energy flow through trophic relationships where arrows indicate the direction of energy flow.

Food Web

An interconnected system of food chains, reflecting more realistic feeding relationships among organisms.

Energy Pyramid

A diagram that shows the amount of energy stored at each trophic level, with only 10% of energy transferred to the next level.

10% Rule

Only 10% of energy in a trophic level is transferred to the next higher trophic level.