Trophic Levels

Trophic levels represent the different stages in a food chain, illustrating how energy and nutrients flow within an ecosystem. There are generally four main levels: 1. **Producers** (like plants) create energy through photosynthesis. 2. **Primary Consumers** (herbivores) eat the producers. 3. **Secondary Consumers** (carnivores) eat the primary consumers. 4. **Tertiary Consumers** (top predators) eat secondary consumers. Each level depends on the one below it for energy. Decomposers also play a vital role by breaking down dead organisms and recycling nutrients back into the soil. This interconnectedness maintains ecosystem balance.