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What is a trophic level?

Flow Chart
The flow of energy in an ecosystem is like the flow of power through a business.
Do you have a job? If so, then you most likely report to a manager or supervisor. Depending on the type of company or business, the manager or supervisor has a boss, too--perhaps a director or vice president. And at the top of the power chain is the president, CEO, or founder of the company or business. Whether the business is a global company worth billions of dollars or owned by a single family, there's a pretty good chance that there's a specific hierarchy in place. A hierarchy is a way to organize something in which its members are placed in certain positions by their job or role.

The flow of power through a company is a little like the way that energy flows through an ecosystem. An ecosystem is the total of living organisms in an environment, as well as physical factors (like water, light, and temperature) that affect that environment. Energy flows between trophic levels in an ecosystem. A trophic level is a living organism's position in the flow of energy through an ecosystem.

In this lesson, you will explore the different trophic levels. Before you proceed, it's important that you have a good grasp of the vocabulary related to the study of ecosystems (ecology). Roll your mouse over each row in the table below to review some important terms used in ecology.

biotic factor a living thing that affects an ecosystem
abiotic factor a nonliving thing that affects an ecosystem
herbivore an animal that is adapted to eating plant tissue
carnivore an animal that is adapted to eating animal tissue (meat)
omnivore an animal that is adapted to eating both plant and animal tissue

Now test your knowledge of the vocabulary you just learned. Match each term to its definition.

carnivore

herbivore

hierarchy

trophic level

ecosystem
a way to organize something in which its members are placed in certain positions by their job or role

a living organism's position in the flow of energy through an ecosystem

an animal that is adapted to eating animal tissue (meat)

the living organisms in an environment, as well as physical factors that make up that environment

an animal that is adapted to eating plant tissue

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