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.

Front

What is a producer?

Back

A producer is an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, typically plants.

Front

What is a carnivore?

Back

A carnivore is an organism that primarily eats other animals.

Front

What is a herbivore?

Back

A herbivore is an organism that primarily eats plants.

Front

What is a primary consumer?

Back

A primary consumer is an organism that eats producers; they are typically herbivores.

Front

What is a secondary consumer?

Back

A secondary consumer is an organism that eats primary consumers; they can be carnivores or omnivores.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence that shows how energy and nutrients flow from one organism to another in an ecosystem.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains that shows how different organisms are related through feeding relationships.

Front

What percentage of energy is typically transferred from one trophic level to the next?

Back

Typically, only about 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.

Front

What is biomagnification?

Back

Biomagnification is the process by which the concentration of toxins increases in organisms at each successive trophic level.