Trophic level

The food web indicates a complex network so it's difficult to study the feeding relationship. This problem is simplified by grouping the organisms into different feeding levels based on their energy source. These feeding levels are called trophic levels of an ecosystem.

All organisms or species that share the same type of food or the same source of energy are set to be at the same trophic level. these levels are usually named as first, second, and third, etc.  

  • First trophic level - Producers (Plants)
  • Second trophic level - Herbivores
  • Third trophic level - Carnivores
Carnivores are further subdivided as,
  • First level-carnivores (directly feed on herbivores)
  • Second level-carnivores ... etc (feeding on first level carnivores)
  • Top level-carnivores 
Organisms do not always occupy a single trophic level.
Ex - Omnivores feed on both plant and animal matter, So they are occupy more than one trophic level.

Trophic levels