trophic classification

Trophic classification groups organisms based on their role in the food chain. Producers, like plants and algae, make their own food through photosynthesis. Consumers eat other organisms; primary consumers eat producers, secondary consumers eat primary consumers, and so on. Decomposers, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead matter, returning nutrients to the environment. This system helps us understand energy flow and nutrient cycling within ecosystems. Each level, called a trophic level, reflects an organism’s position in the feeding hierarchy, shaping how energy and nutrients move through the environment.