Introduction food chains trophic levels

To maintain a balance in the ecosystem the energy must cycle from one trophic level
to another. This is possible by a series of interconnections called as food chains
when the interconnections are linear and food web when it forms a network of
interconnections. The food produced by the autotrophs has to reach all the living
organisms and this is done via food chain. The energy of the food either reaches
directly to the herbivores or indirectly to the carnivores or omnivores.
Food Chains has Various Trophic Levels
A food chain consists of various trophic levels and each level is characterised by a
specific group of producers, consumers or decomposers. The food chain always
starts with the producers that are placed in the first trophic level in the food chain
whereas the decomposers are placed in the last trophic level in the food chain.
Various trophic levels are described below;
Producers in an ecosystem are considered as Autotrophs. Autotrophs make their
own food using an external energy source (usually sunlight) and a simple inorganic
supply of carbon (usually carbon dioxide. Producers produce their food by
undergoing a reaction called as photosynthesis. Producers include green plants,
algae and bacteria which make their own food by photosynthesis.
Consumers in an ecosystem are the heterotrophs. Heterotrophs cannot make their
own food . they take their food molecules from the surroundings. They use an
organic carbon source to meet their energy needs so they are totally dependent
upon organisms like green plants that are capable of making their own food. 
Animals, fungi and some protoctists are examples of heterotrophs. Consumers can
be classified as follows:
 Primary consumers: are herbivores and they obtain their energy by eating
producers directly. Example: cow, deer, etc
 Secondary consumers: are carnivores or scavengers. They eat primary
consumers. They consume only meat of other animals. Example- lion, tiger, etc
 Tertiary consumers: are carnivores that prey on other meat eaters.
Decomposers: are the organisms that feed on dead and decayed organic matter.
These are also called as detrivorous organisms. They digest complex organic matter
with the help of digestive enzymes and convert them to simple compounds which
can be reused by producers. So these decomposers help to complete a food cycle.
Example of decomposers are bacteria and fungi.

The Flow of Energy Follows the 10% Rule while Travelling via
Food Chain
The producers absorb 1% of the total solar energy. The producers then pass on this
energy to the consumers subsequently. At each trophic level only 10% of the energy
from the previous trophic level is passed on to next trophic level and rest is used in
metabolic activities and some part of the energy is lost as heat.