What can a food web be broken down into?

Trophic levels: Trophic levels are the different steps in the food chain, starting with the producers (plants) and moving up to the top predators (like wolves or sharks). Each trophic level is dependent on the one below it for energy.

Producers: Producers are the organisms that make their own food from inorganic matter. In most ecosystems, plants are the main producers. They use photosynthesis to convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose, which is then used to build plant tissue.

Consumers: Consumers are organisms that cannot make their own food and must eat other organisms to get energy. There are three main types of consumers:

- Primary consumers: Primary consumers are herbivores that eat plants. Examples include deer, rabbits, and cows.

- Secondary consumers: Secondary consumers are carnivores that eat primary consumers. Examples include foxes, wolves, and bears.

- Tertiary consumers: Tertiary consumers are carnivores that eat secondary consumers. Examples include lions, sharks, and eagles.

Decomposers: Decomposers are organisms that break down dead plants and animals into simpler molecules that can be recycled by plants and other organisms. Examples include bacteria, fungi, and worms.