Tertiary consumers are at the highest trophic level as they consume secondary consumers.

Trophic transfer refers to the movement of energy from one trophic level to the next.

Primary consumers are herbivores that consume producers (plants).

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.

Decomposers break down organic matter and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Only about 10% of the energy available at one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level.

Detritivores feed on dead organic matter.

A trophic cascade is the indirect effect of a change in the population of one species on other species in the food chain.

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains.

The energy content of food is typically measured in calories.

Secondary consumers are carnivores that consume primary consumers.

Metabolism is the sum of all chemical reactions that occur within an organism.

Producers are organisms that can make their own food from inorganic molecules.

Energy pyramids graphically represent the amount of energy at each trophic level.

Ecological efficiency is the percentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next.