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The trophic level of an organism
helps identify how efficient a consumer it is.
The lower a consumer is on the pyramid, the more efficient it is.
Consumers who are higher on the energy pyramid are less efficient.
For example, cattle are primary consumers, level T2,
who must consume 10 kilograms of grass
to maintain each kilogram of mass.
Owls are secondary consumers, level T3.
To maintain each kilogram of mass,
the owl must consume 10 kilograms of field mice
and each mouse must consume 10 kilograms of grass.
That means one kilogram of owl
is supported by 100 kilograms of grass,
compared to the 10 kilograms of grass needed to support the cow.
The owl is a less efficient consumer than the cow.
Since it takes more energy
to support organisms at higher trophic levels,
top carnivores are not the largest
or the most numerous organisms in a biome.