Trophic Levels

Front

What is a trophic level?

Back

A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web that indicates the flow of energy and nutrients through an ecosystem.

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What is a primary consumer?

Back

A primary consumer is an organism that consumes producers (plants) for energy, typically herbivores.

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What is a secondary consumer?

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A secondary consumer is an organism that eats primary consumers, usually carnivores or omnivores.

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What is a producer?

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A producer is an organism that can create its own food using sunlight or chemical energy, such as plants and algae.

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What is a decomposer?

Back

A decomposer is an organism that breaks down dead organic material, returning nutrients to the soil, such as fungi and bacteria.

Front

What is the energy flow in a food chain?

Back

Energy flows from producers to primary consumers, then to secondary consumers, and so on, with energy decreasing at each trophic level.

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What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

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A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which energy and nutrients flow, while a food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains.

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What role do herbivores play in an ecosystem?

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Herbivores are primary consumers that convert plant energy into a form that can be consumed by secondary consumers.

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What is the significance of trophic levels in an ecosystem?

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Trophic levels help to understand the structure of ecosystems, energy flow, and the relationships between different organisms.

Front

How does energy decrease at each trophic level?

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Energy decreases at each trophic level due to energy loss through metabolic processes, heat, and waste.