Ecological Pyramids

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Food Chain Noun

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[food chayn]

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Food Chain

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A single, linear pathway showing how energy flows from one organism to another in an ecosystem.

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Example: Energy flows from the sun to a producer (grass), then to a primary consumer (grasshopper), a secondary consumer (bird), and a tertiary consumer (fox).

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Food Web Noun

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[food web]

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Food Web

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A complex network of interconnected food chains showing all the various energy paths in an ecosystem.

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Example: This diagram shows a food web, where arrows point from the organism being eaten to the one that eats it, illustrating how energy flows through an ecosystem.

Front

Trophic Level Noun

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[troh-fik lev-uhl]

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Trophic Level

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Each step or feeding level in a food chain or food web, indicating an organism's position in the energy flow.

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Example: This energy pyramid shows trophic levels, from producers at the bottom to consumers at the top, with only 10% of energy moving to the next level.

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Autotroph Noun

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[aw-toh-trohf]

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Autotroph

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An organism that creates its own food from inorganic sources, usually through photosynthesis, and is known as a producer.

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Example: This diagram shows photosynthesis, the process autotrophs like plants use to make their own food (glucose) from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.

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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, also known as a consumer, that must obtain energy and nutrients by eating other organisms.

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Example: This diagram shows that organisms like the rabbit, fox, and eagle are heterotrophs because they get energy by consuming other living things in a food chain.

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Producer Noun

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[pruh-doo-ser]

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Producer

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An organism at the first trophic level that produces its own food, forming the base of a food web.

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Example: This diagram shows that grass is a producer because it is at the start of the food chain, providing energy for the first consumer.

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Primary Consumer Noun

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[prahy-mer-ee kuhn-soo-mer]

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Primary Consumer

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An organism at the second trophic level that feeds on producers; also known as an herbivore.

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Example: This diagram shows a food chain where the rabbit is the primary consumer because it eats the producer (grass) to get energy.

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Secondary Consumer Noun

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[sek-uhn-der-ee kuhn-soo-mer]

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Secondary Consumer

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An organism at the third trophic level that feeds on primary consumers, which can be a carnivore or omnivore.

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Example: This image shows a food chain where the owl is the secondary consumer because it eats the mouse, which is the primary consumer that eats wheat.

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Tertiary Consumer Noun

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[tur-shee-er-ee kuhn-soo-mer]

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Tertiary Consumer

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An organism at the fourth trophic level that feeds on secondary consumers, often a top predator in the ecosystem.

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Example: This food chain shows a snake as the tertiary consumer because it gets its energy by eating the frog, which is the secondary consumer.

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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 obtains energy and nutrients by feeding exclusively on plants or other producers.

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Example: This image defines herbivores as animals that eat plants, showing examples like zebras, cows, and sheep, which are all primary consumers in an ecosystem.