trophic level: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos and Videos

Diagram illustrating energy flow through ecosystem trophic levels, showing energy from the sun absorbed by producers (plants), then transferred to a rabbit (primary consumer), a snake (secondary consumer), and an eagle (tertiary consumer), with energy loss as heat at each step.

Diagram showing energy transfer through an ecosystem, with solar energy absorbed by plants (producers) at the base, then moving up to herbivores (primary consumers), small carnivores (secondary consumers), and large carnivores (tertiary consumers), while most energy is lost as heat at each step.

An energy pyramid diagram showing four levels: producers like grass at the base, primary consumers such as rabbits above, secondary consumers like snakes next, and a tertiary consumer, an eagle, at the top. Arrows indicate energy transfer upward and energy loss at each level.

What is a trophic cascade?

How an ecosystem works: Producers, herbivores, and carnivores

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

producer decomposer consumer trophic pyramid food chain heterotroph autotroph food web What Purposes Do Mosquitoes Serve in Ecosystems?What do ants eat?How is honey made?What eats snakes?