Trophic Levels
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Trophic levels occur within the biosphere
o Area of earth where living organisms exist
Trophic Level
o A category of organisms that is defined by how the organisms gain their energy
Primary producers
o Organisms that can make their own food
o Example: plants
Consumers
o Are organisms that cannot make their own food
o Must eat other organisms to get the matter and energy to survive
Matter Moves Through the Biosphere By Travelling From One Trophic Level to the Next
Energy from
thr sun
Primary
Producers
Primary
Consumers
Secondary
Consumers
Make a Venn Diagram to Compare Primary Producers and Consumers
Tertiary
Consumers
Primary
Producers
Primary
Consumers
Biomass – total mass of living organisms in a defined group or area.
Trophic Efficiency – a measure of the amount of energy or biomass transferred from one
trophic level to the next higher level.
Tertiary Consumers
(top carnivores)
1 energy unit
Secondary Consumers
(carnivores)
10 Energy units
Primary Consumers (herbivores)
100 Energy Units
Primary Producers (plants)
1000 Energy Units