Term | Definition |
Food Chain | A diagram showing a single pathway through which energy and matter flow through an ecosystem |
Producer | An organism that can make its own food and energy (usually through photosynthesis-a plant).Producer-Plant-Photosynthesis Also known as an Autotroph |
Consumer | An organism that needs to seek out and consume other organisms in order to obtain food and energy. Can be classified as an herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore. Also known as a Heterotroph |
Decomposer | An organism that breaks down the remains of producers and consumers and returns nutrients back into the environment. (Decomposer-Dead-Decay) Is also a Heterotroph |
Scavenger | A consumer that eats that which is already dead and that it did not kill |
Herbivore | An organism that eats plants |
Carnivore | An organism that eats meat |
Omnivore | An organism that eats both plants and meat. |
Food Web | A diagram that represents multiple pathways through which energy and matter flow through an ecosystem. |
Energy Pyramid | A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moved from one trophic level to another, with the most energy available at the first level (producers), and the least available at the top-(top predator) |
Trophic Level | The feeding position in a food chain or food web. (1st level, 2nd level and so on) |
Primary Consumer | A first level consumer on the energy pyramid that is an herbivore (eats only plants) |
Secondary Consumer | A second level consumer on the energy pyramid (can be an omnivore or carnivore) |
Tertiary Consumer | A third level consumer on the energy pyramid. |
Quaternary Consumer | A fourth level consumer on the energy pyramid |
Biomagnification | The increased concentration of a toxic chemical in an organism the higher the organism is on the food chain |
Bioaccumulation | The accumulation (adding up) of a toxic chemical in the tissue of a particular organism |