7.11 Trophic levels

• Different levels within a food chain

Levels

1. Producers (plant / algae) - use photosynthesis to produce own food

2. Primary consumers - herbivores

3. Secondary consumers - carnivores

4. Tertiary consumers - carnivores

Each time the trophic level increases, energy gets lost

• so not enough energy to sustain organisms in higher trophic levels (level 5, 6.. etc)

General rule

• only 10% of energy in each trophic level is passed on to the organism in the next level

Apex predators

• carnivores at top of chain (don’t have any predators) are known as apex predators

Omnivores

• don’t fit into food chain due to eating both producers & other animals

Decomposers & Detritivores

Decomposers - bacteria, fungi

Detritivores - small animals like worms

• Both of these help to decompose dead plant & animal matter in the environment

  • recycles nutrients from animals & plants back into ground

  • So can be reused by producers again