Which of the following statements is/are correct?
- Green plants or primary consumers make up the first trophic level of the food chain.
- At the fourth level of the food chain are the decomposers, that is the organisms that break down dead or dying matter into nutrients.
-
Only 1
-
Only 2
-
Both of these
-
Neither of these
D
Correct answer
Explanation
The trophic level of an organism is the position it occupies in the food chain. Green plants make up the first trophic level and are known as primary producers. Plants are able to convert energy from the sun into food through a process known as photosynthesis. In the second trophic level, the primary consumers - known as herbivores - are animals and insects that obtain their energy solely by eating the green plants. The third trophic level is composed of the secondary consumers, flesh-eating or carnivorous animals that feed on herbivores. At the fourth level are the tertiary consumers, carnivores that feed on other carnivores. Finally, the fifth trophic level consists of the decomposers, organisms such as fungi and bacteria that break down dead or dying matter into nutrients that can be used again.