Saint Joseph Catholic School
Biology Assignment: Trophic Levels
To teacher Banchi.M
Group 1
Sinbone Abebe
Bethelhem Sisay
Eldana Teklu
Fenet Fikadu
KIdist Wale
Luwam Mohammed
Melat Eshetu
Ruhama Tadesse
Soliyana Addis
Soliyana Endalbaba
Yoftahe Niguse
Yohana Tamirat
Yordanos Tadesse
Grade 10B
Trophic Levels
Trophic levels are the positions organisms occupy in a food chain based on
how they obtain energy. Each level represents a step in the flow of energy
and nutrients within an ecosystem.
Producers (1st Trophic Level): Autotrophs
such as plants and algae that make their own
food using sunlight through photosynthesis.
Primary Consumers (2nd Trophic Level):
Herbivores that eat producers.
Secondary Consumers (3rd Trophic Level):
Carnivores that eat herbivores.
Tertiary Consumers (4th Trophic Level):
Carnivores that eat other carnivores.
Decomposers: Organisms like fungi and
bacteria that break down dead organisms,
recycling nutrients into the ecosystem. They
operate across all levels.
Food Chain
A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and
energy pass as one organism eats another. It is a simplified model of energy
flow.
Key Features:
• Shows Direct Feeding Relationships: Each organism eats the one
before it, forming a straight energy path.
• Usually 3–5 Trophic Levels: Most food chains have 3–5 steps: producers
→ consumers → top predators.
• Energy Decreases Up the Chain: Only 10% of energy moves to the next
level; the rest is lost.
Food Web
A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains in an
ecosystem. It provides a more accurate representation of how organisms
feed and interact.
Key Features:
• Reflects Biodiversity and Stability: Food
webs show many species and how they connect,
revealing a healthy, balanced ecosystem.
• Shows Multiple Feeding Relationships:
Unlike food chains, food webs display how
organisms eat and are eaten by many others.
• Organisms Can Occupy Multiple Trophic
Levels: Some animals eat at different levels—like
an omnivore eating both plants and animals.
Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Energy flow in ecosystems refers to how energy is captured, transferred, and
lost between organisms at different trophic levels. It is a fundamental
principle that governs the structure and dynamics of all ecosystems.
The primary source of energy for most ecosystems is the sun. Plants
and other autotrophs capture this energy through photosynthesis,
converting it into chemical energy stored in glucose.
Energy is passed from producers to consumers (herbivores, then
carnivores) and finally to decomposers.
At each trophic level, organisms use energy for vital activities such as
movement, growth, reproduction, and maintaining homeostasis.
Energy Loss:
Only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is passed to the
next. This is known as the 10% Rule.
The remaining 90% is lost mostly as heat due to metabolic processes
such as respiration.
Pyramid Models:
These pyramids help visualize the relationships between trophic levels in
terms of energy, biomass, and organism numbers.
Energy Pyramid:
This pyramid shows the flow of energy from
one trophic level to the next. It is always
upright because energy is lost at each level,
primarily as heat. The base (producers) has
the highest energy content, while apex
predators at the top have the least.
Biomass Pyramid:
It Represents the total mass of living organisms at each trophic level.
In most ecosystems, it is upright, indicating a large biomass of
producers supporting smaller biomass at higher levels. However, it
may be inverted
Pyramid of Numbers:
It Illustrates the number of individual organisms at each trophic level.
It can be upright or inverted depending on the ecosystem structure.
For example, a single tree (producer) may support thousands of
herbivorous insects (primary consumers), creating an inverted
pyramid.
