Trophic Levels

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Ecosystem Noun

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[ee-koh-sis-tuhm]

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Ecosystem

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A community of living organisms interacting with their non-living physical environment as a single, functional unit.

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Example: Energy from the sun is captured by plants, transferred to herbivores and carnivores when they eat, and recycled by decomposers, with heat lost at each level.

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Biome Noun

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[bahy-ohm]

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Biome

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A large geographical area characterized by its distinct climate, plants, and animals that are adapted to that environment.

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Example: This diagram shows the levels of ecological organization, from a single organism to a population, community, and ecosystem. It does not illustrate a biome.

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Producer Noun

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[pruh-doo-ser]

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Producer

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An organism, also known as an autotroph, that creates its own food for energy, forming the base of a food chain.

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Example: A producer, like the plant leaf shown, uses photosynthesis to convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into its own food (glucose).

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Autotroph Noun

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[aw-toh-trohf]

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Autotroph

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An organism capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances, using light or chemical energy.

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Example: This plant is an autotroph because it makes its own food (sugar) by using energy from the sun, water from the soil, and carbon dioxide from the air.

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Consumer Noun

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[kuhn-soo-mer]

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Consumer

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An organism, also known as a heterotroph, that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms in a food chain.

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Example: This food chain shows that consumers are organisms that get energy by eating others, like the rabbit (primary consumer), fox (secondary consumer), and eagle (tertiary consumer).

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Heterotroph Noun

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[het-er-uh-trohf]

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Heterotroph

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An organism that cannot produce its own food and must obtain energy and nutrients by consuming other organisms.

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Example: This food chain shows that heterotrophs, like the grasshopper, frog, and snake, get energy by consuming other organisms, unlike producers like grass.

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Photosynthesis Noun

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[foh-toh-sin-thuh-sis]

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Photosynthesis

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The process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy stored in organic compounds.

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Example: This diagram shows how a plant, a producer at the first trophic level, uses energy from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create its own food (glucose).

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Chemosynthesis Noun

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[kee-moh-sin-thuh-sis]

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Chemosynthesis

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The biological conversion of inorganic molecules into food, using chemical reactions instead of light energy to produce carbohydrates.

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Example: Bacteria inside giant tubeworms use chemicals like hydrogen sulfide from hydrothermal vents to create food (glucose), forming the base of a deep-sea food web.

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Herbivore Noun

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[hur-buh-vohr]

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Herbivore

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A type of consumer that is anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating only plant material for its main food source.

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Example: This image defines herbivores as plant-eaters and provides six clear examples, such as zebras, cows, and sheep, to illustrate this category of animals.

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Carnivore Noun

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[kahr-nuh-vohr]

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Carnivore

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A type of consumer whose diet consists mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging.

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Example: This image shows a collection of animals, such as lions, sharks, and eagles, which are all examples of carnivores that eat other animals.