ecology - trophic levels

Question 1

what are herbivores?

Answer 1

eat plants or algae
(herbivores are primary consumers)

Question 2

what do carnivores eat?

Answer 2

herbivores
carnivores are secondary consumers as they eat another animal

Question 3

what is a tertiary consumer?

Answer 3

carnivore that eats other carnivores

Question 4

what are tropic levels?

Answer 4

an organisms position on a food chain so primary consumers, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer etc
“trophic” - feeding

Question 5

trophic level 1?
trophic level 2?
trophic level 3?
trophic level 4?

Answer 5

producer
primary consumers
secondary consumer
tertiary consumer

Question 6

what are apex predators?

Answer 6

carnivores that have no predators themselves

Question 7

what do decomposers break down

Answer 7

• dead plants + animals
• waste products such as faeces

Question 8

what happens when decomposers break down dead remains + waste products?

Answer 8

• return mineral ions back to soil
• to do this decomposers secrete enzymes into the environment. the enzymes digest dead materials and the small soluble food molecules then diffuse back into the decomposer