Trophic levels Flashcards
Autotroph
Utilizes either photosynthesis or chemosynthesis to create its own energy (self foods)
Heterotroph
Gains energy by eating different organisms (different food)
Primary producers
trophic level 1: autotrophs- photosynthesis for energy
Secondary consumers
trophic level 2: heterotroph: herbivore
Tertiary consumers
trophic level 4: carnivores
Quaternary consumers
trophic level 5: top level carnivores
10% rule
only 10% of energy is transferred to next trophic level, the other 90% is lost as heat!
If producers have 100% available energy, how much remains in other levels?
The rest is lost largely through metabolic processes as heat.
Biomass
The amount of living matter in an ecosystem. Ex. highest amount is producers, lowest is highest level consumers.
Changing calories up the trophic pyramid due to the 10% rule
100,000 kcal-Producers, 10,000 kcal primary consumers, 1000 kcal secondary consumers, 100 kcal tertiary consumers and 10 kcal quaternary consumers
Ecology
The study of how organisms interact with each other and the environment
Food web
An intricate ecosystem of organisms that shows energy transfer with an arrow producers to consumers.
Food chain
A single organism to organism energy transfer.
