trophic levels

• food chains can be divided into trophic levels. they consist of one or more organisms that perform a specific role in the food chain
• trophic levels are named after their location in the food chain using numbers. (trophic level 1).
• trophic level 1 contains producers , they make their own food using energy from the sun
• trophic level 2 contains primary consumers , these are herbivores that eat the plants and algae are primary consumers.
• trophic level 3 contains secondary consumers. these are carnivores that eat the primary consumers . carnivores are meat eaters
• trophic level 4 contain tertiary consumers , carnivores that eat other carnivores. have no predators, top of food chain. known as apex predators
• decomposers such as fungi and bacteria break down uneaten remains and waste. they decompose any dead plant or animal material. do this by secreting enzymes that bread down dead stuff down into small soluble food molecules , then diffuse into the microorganism