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A trophic level is a step in a food chain of an ecosystem. The organisms in a food chain
are classified into their tropic level depending on their feeding behavior; the number of steps
an organism is from the start of the chain is a measure of its trophic level.
So the first trophic level is the primary producers, the organisms which produce their
own food, usually the green plants or algae. These organisms are also referred to as autotrophs.
From the producers, the second trophic level is the herbivores, the organisms that eat
the plants. These organisms are called the primary consumers: they are the first step
where nutrients are consumed.
Level three is carnivores who eat herbivores, they are eating organisms from level two so
they are the secondary consumers.
Secondary consumers are followed by tertiary consumers. Level 4 is carnivores who eat other
carnivores.
Level 5 is the apex predators, the top of the food chain where the organisms isn’t
eaten by other animals.
Decomposers can also be considered to occupy their own trophic level. They break down dead
animal and These categories are not strictly defined, as many organisms feed on several
trophic levels; for example, some carnivores also consume plant materials. plant matter,
also known as detritivores.
Now let’s look at the tropic levels in this community:
Level 1: Primary producers: Grass Level 2: Primary consumers: Rabbits
Level 3: Secondary consumers: Fox Level 4: Tertiary consumer: Eagle
Level 5: Decomposers: fungi
So to summarise, trophic levels are the number of steps in an organisms is within a food
chain. The first tophic level is usually the green plants, the producers, and as you go
up a trophic level, and you go along a food chain of an ecosystem, you move on to the
consumers, and finally the decomposers.