Trophic Levels

The food webs are organized in thropic levels that are the hierarchal position that an organism or group of organisms occupies in an ecosystem.

The simplest way to represent trophic levels is through a food chain:

• Producers: An organism that obtains organic food molecules without eating other organisms but by using energy from the sun or inorganic molecules to make organic molecules. This trophic level supports all others by converting solar or chemical energy into a form useable for other organisms.
• Consumers: An organism that obtains its nutrition by eating other organisms. Herbivores and Carnivores. The role of consumers in an ecosystem is to transfer energy from one trophic level to the next

ü  Primary Consumers: [Herbivores] Eats Producers.

ü  Secondary Consumers: [Carnivores] Eats Primary Consumers.

ü  Tertiary Consumers: Eats Secondary Consumers

ü  Quaternary Consumers: Eats Tertiary Consumers

• Decomposers: An organism that obtains energy by breaking down dead organic matter into more simple substances. Also called saprobes.