Producers form the first trophic level in the food chain. Herbivores depend directly on producers.

Question

Justify the statements:

(a) Producers form the first trophic level in the food chain. Herbivores depend directly on producers. 

(b) The flow of nutrients in an ecosystem is cyclic. 

(c) Plants in an ecosystem are called autotrophs.

Answer 1

(a) So herbivores form the second trophic level, whereas carnivores depend on herbivores, so they form the third trophic level in the food chain.

(b) The nutrients are circulated and recycled from the biosphere to living organisms and after their death back to the biosphere.

(c) They produce their own food by the process of photosynthesis. All animals in an ecosystem directly or indirectly depend on plants for food.