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Trophic Levels, Energy Transfer and Pyramids

This document discusses trophic levels and energy transfer through food chains and webs. It defines trophic levels as the position organisms occupy in a food chain based on what they consume for energy. Producers are at the first trophic level, primary consumers at the second, and secondary consumers at the third. Energy is lost at each transfer between trophic levels, with around 90% lost between producers and primary consumers. This energy loss can be represented by an ecological pyramid, with fewer organisms and less available energy at higher trophic levels due to the 10% transfer rule between levels.

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Chal Lotino
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167 views19 pages

Trophic Levels, Energy Transfer and Pyramids

This document discusses trophic levels and energy transfer through food chains and webs. It defines trophic levels as the position organisms occupy in a food chain based on what they consume for energy. Producers are at the first trophic level, primary consumers at the second, and secondary consumers at the third. Energy is lost at each transfer between trophic levels, with around 90% lost between producers and primary consumers. This energy loss can be represented by an ecological pyramid, with fewer organisms and less available energy at higher trophic levels due to the 10% transfer rule between levels.

Uploaded by

Chal Lotino
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Trophic Levels,

Energy transfer
and Pyramids
Trophic Levels – is the
position an organism
occupies in a food
chain. It refers to food or
feeding.
Food Chain
Food Chains
The energy flow from one trophic level
to the other is know as a food chain
Producers are at the first ENERGY LEVEL
Primary Consumers are the SECOND
ENERGY LEVEL
Secondary consumers are at the THIRD
ENERGY LEVEL
Trophic Levels (feeding levels)

1
Food Web

Food webs are


multiple food chains.
Food Webs
Food webs show
ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS
other possible pathways
through which an
organism can obtain
energy
Food webs
Energy Level Producer, primary
consumer, secondary
consumer, tertiary
consumer?
Grass
1st producer
Mouse Primary
2nd consumer
Grasshopper

Frog

Owl

Hawk
Energy Level Producer, primary
consumer, secondary
consumer, tertiary
consumer
Grass 1st Producer

Mouse 2nd Primary consumer

Grasshopper 2nd Primary consumer

Frog 3rd Secondary


consumer

Owl 3rd and 4th Secondary and


tertiary consumer
Hawk 3rd Secondary
consumer
Transfer of Energy

Energy lost from chain


“link” to “link” is
significant!
from grass to sheep, loss is about
90%!

HEAT HEAT
90% 90%

100% Energy 10% Original


Available 1% Original
Energy!
Energy!
Energy lost from one trophic level
(energy level) to the next level can be
represented by a pyramid
4⁰
CONSUMERS

3
CONSUMERS
2 CONSUMERS

1 CONSUMERS

PRODUCERS
Each level above only gets
10% of the energy from below
 Ex: 10,000 J of producers (plants) only give 10% of
energy to primary consumers
1,000 J to primary consumers (snails,
minnows, dragonflies)
100 J to secondary consumers (small fish)
10 J to tertiary consumers (big fish)
1 J to quaternary consumers (fish hawk)
ENERGY PYRAMID

1J

10 J

100 J

1,000 J

10,000 J
Usually no more than 5 trophic
levels since 6th level would have
very little energy to keep it alive
Ecological Pyramid

• Which level has the most energy?


• Which level has the most organisms?
• Which level has the least organisms?
• Which level has the least energy?

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