Ecosystem Trophic Structure

Ecosystems exhibit modularity in their organization into trophic levels - groups of organisms occupying similar food web positions. Primary producers convert solar energy through photosynthesis; primary consumers (herbivores) consume producers; secondary consumers (carnivores) consume herbivores; tertiary consumers consume other carnivores; decomposers recycle nutrients. Each level processes energy from below, with typically 5-15% transferred to the next level. However, modern ecology recognizes trophic levels represent analytical frameworks rather than discrete biological organization - real food webs are continuous networks with omnivores feeding at multiple levels and keystone species having disproportionate impacts spanning modular boundaries.