Trophic levels: What are they, what are and examples

When we talk about The trophic levels of an ecosystem We refer to each of the sets of organisms that are characterized by having the same position in the food chain. That is, it refers to the classification of the species or organisms according to the way in which they obtain their food, that is, matter and energy, of the environment of their direct environment.

Therefore, there are various trophic levels, which can be organized in a trophic pyramid or similar schemes, and between different levels, trophic relationships are generated, that is, some feed on others, so we can differentiate trophic chains or trophic networks.

If you wonder What are the trophic levelskeep in mind that they are diverse and that they are interrelated. Here we will describe each of them in detail:

Producers

For an ecosystem to work, it needs an energy source, in the case of our planet the main source of energy we have is the sun. Solar energy is captured by those organisms, called autotrophs or photosynthetic, which have structures in their cells capable of transforming the energy of the sun into chemical energy. An example would be the presence of chlorophyll on plants’ leaves, which allow them to produce their own organic matter based on an inorganic substance (water, carbon dioxide) thanks to an energy source. That is why these organisms are called producers, for the ability to produce organic matterbeing so Start of the trophic levels of the food chain.

Consumers

The next level in the food chain, or also called trophic chain, is that of consumers. Among consumers we have primary, secondary and tertiary, these have in common that they are heterotrophic organisms, that is, it does not present structures to synthesize their own organic matter, therefore, they have to take it synthesized. However, they differ in their way of feeding:

• Primary consumers: These are herbivores and feed from producing organisms (vegetables).
• Secondary consumers: organisms Carnivores that to feed they resort to the primary consumers and other secondary ones (herbivorous animals, other carnivores and omnivores). Here also the organisms are usually included omnivoreswhich feed on both primary consumers (herbivorous animals, carnivores or other omnivores) and also producing organisms (vegetables). Discover more about these organisms with this other post in which we talk about what omnivorous animals are with examples.
• Tertiary consumers: are Carnivores that feed on other primary and secondary consumers, but that barely have predators, that is, they are at the top of the trophic pyramid in terms of deprecation. Sometimes they are also known as Superdedores.

Decomponers

We arrive at the last of the trophic levels of the food chain, since the synthesized organic matter has gone from producers to herbivorous consumers and then to carnivores, until reaching the Trophic chain end.

Organisms die and these enter into decomposition by the performance of the Decomponent organismswhich are normally bacteria and fungi, although there are others. These organisms are responsible for transforming organic matter into a simpler one, into Inorganic matter. This inorganic matter, as we have mentioned before, is what the producing organisms use to generate organic matter thanks to a source of energy. Therefore, this inorganic matter would go to the first trophic level, thus closing the cycle of ecosystems and starting again.

Although at all times we have been talking about the transmission of Organic matter From some levels to others, there is also a Energy flow between trophic levels. We cannot forget that solar energy is transformed by producers into chemical energy and it goes from levels to others, estimating that the amount of energy transmitted is 10%. Thanks to this energy the organism can perform its vital functions. We recommend this other article to learn more about what are the living beings decomposing.

Since we have understood the Definition of trophic levelswe will show some Examples of trophic chains in which their trophic levels will differentiate:

• The phytoplankton It is made up of plant organisms, therefore, it belongs to producers levelthis is consumed by small crustaceans, and these for small fish. Finally, small fish (bequerons) are predated by other larger fish (sardines), and even these that are a bit larger could have even larger predators (sharks). When these living beings die, scavenging species such as crabs are responsible for favoring the decomposition process. Learn more about this topic with this other article about what phytoplankton is.
• Animals like Rabbits are primary consumers of herbs and plants, but these are eaten by carnivorous animals (secondary consumers), such as foxes or pumas, when they die end up being food of scavenging birds.
• The flies of the flies are at the level of The decomponersbecause they feed on decomposition, these when they reach their adult state are food for spiders and these spiders are foods for animals such as Mapaches, which finally end up being the food of carnivorous snakes.

Although we have put examples of chains, we get closer to reality if we talk about trophic networks. It is a more complex interrelation, in which all species of the different levels intervene. An organism not only feeds on a species, but its food can be composed of the intake of different species or this can be consumed by different species. For example, a rabbit can be the food of a puma or also a fox and, in turn, these carnivores not only feed on rabbits, but also, for example, birds.

Now that you know what trophic levels are, what are and examples of these, you may be interested in deepening what trophic networks and examples are and what are ecological pyramids and their types with these other articles of ecology.

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