Each step or level of the food chain where transfer of food or energy takes place is referred to as a trophic level. The energy relationship between trophic levels is shown in a form of pyramid. Consider a food chain Grass → Grasshopper →Frog → Snake → Hawk. This food chain can also be considered as energy chain. We can place these animals in different trophic levels, for example:
Trophic Levels
Grass: They are the producers so are placed in first trophic level. They utilize solar energy to prepare food. They transfer this energy to grasshopper, but only 10% of the energy is available to grasshopper according to Lindeman’s 10% Law. If grass has 10,000 kcal of energy only 1000 kcal will be transferred to grasshopper. So energy at next trophic level is reduced.
Similarly grasshopper is placed at second trophic level; frog in third, snake in fourth and fifth trophic level is occupied by hawk. At each trophic level the energy goes on decreasing i.e. frog will receive 100 kcal of energy, snake 10 kcal and finally hawk only 1 kcal. Thus energy at each trophic level goes on decreasing and the animal placed at apex will receive lowest energy.
Decomposers like bacteria, fungi etc. act upon dead and decay organisms to convert organic compounds into simpler forms. These simple substances get mixed up in the soil and are used as nutrients by the producers. From producers it goes to consumers and so on. Thus there is recycle of matter which is done by decomposers that maintain balance in the ecosystem. Recycling of materials helps in reuse of same materials again and again. Decomposers provide space for new life in biosphere and without them all life will ultimately cease to exist as dead remains and waste organic matter
