A
________ make up the first trophic level. ________, also known as autotrophs, make their own food and do not depend on any other organism for nutrition. Most autotrophs use a process called photosynthesis to create food (a nutrient called glucose) from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water.
Producers
________ break down biotic wastes and dead organisms, returning the raw material to the ecosystem
Decomposers
An organism that eats meat only.
Carnivore
__________ can be carnivores (animals that eat other animals) or omnivores (animals that eat both plants and animals). Omnivores, like people, consume many types of foods. People eat plants, such as vegetables and fruits. We also eat animals and animal products, such as meat, milk, and eggs. We eat fungi, such as mushrooms. We also eat algae, in edible seaweeds like nori (used to wrap sushi rolls) and sea lettuce (used in salads). Bears are omnivores, too. They eat berries and mushrooms, as well as animals such as salmon and deer.
Consumers
A series of events in which one organism eats another and obtains energy and nutrients.
Food chain
An organism that eats both plants and meat.
Omnivore
Animals that eat producers.
Primary consumers
Consists of many overlapping food chains in an ecosystem.
Animals that eat primary consumers.
Secondary consumers
A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another in a food web.
Energy pyramid
Apex predators, which are capable of eating first and second level consumers.
Tertiary consumers
Herbivore