Trophic Levels and Energy Pyramids

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Trophic Level

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A step in a food chain or food web representing energy transfer.

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Producers (Autotrophs)

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Organisms that create their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis (e.g., plants, algae).

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Primary Consumers (Herbivores)

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Organisms that eat producers (e.g., rabbits, deer).

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Secondary Consumers (Carnivores/Omnivores)

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Organisms that eat primary consumers (e.g., snakes, foxes).

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Tertiary Consumers

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Organisms that eat secondary consumers (e.g., eagles, sharks).

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Quaternary Consumers

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Apex predators at the top of the food chain (e.g., orcas, lions).

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Decomposers

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Organisms that break down dead material and recycle nutrients (e.g., fungi, bacteria).

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Detritivores

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Organisms that consume dead organic matter (e.g., earthworms, scavengers like vultures).

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Energy Pyramid

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A diagram showing energy flow between trophic levels, with the most energy at the bottom and the least at the top.

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10% Rule

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Only about 10% of energy is passed to the next trophic level, with the rest lost as heat.