Trophic levels

• what are trophic levels

  different stages in the food chain

  • Level 1: producers (eg plants and algae) which make their own food by photosynthesis
  • Level 2: primary consumers (eg herbivores) only eat plants
  • Level 3: secondary consumers (eg carnivores) eat herbivores
  • Level 4: tertiary consumers (eg carnivores) that eat other carnivores (apex predators)
• what do decomposers do

  break down dead plant and animal matter. they do this by:

  • secreting enzymes
  • matter is broken down into soluble food molecules and they move into the microorganism by diffusion