1. Trophic Level A way of categorizing living organisms according to how they gain their energy The first trophic level would be producers and each higher level would contain heterotrophs

3. Primary consumer An organism that relies directly on producers or autotrophs for its source of energy They are found in the second trophic level Example: rabbit, deer, moose

4. Secondary consumer An organism that relies directly on primary consumers for its source of energy They are found in the third trophic level Example: fox, pine marten, cat

5. Tertiary consumer Top of the food chain, is not eaten by any other organisms Example: human, polar bear

6. Decomposer An organism that feed on detrius, in the process releasing nutrients to the soil and water Example: vulture, fungi, bacteria

7. Food web A diagram showing the connections among everything that organisms in a location eat and are eaten by. A food web is more complex than a food chain, by showing more connections.

9. Food chain A step by step sequence linking organisms that feed on each other, starting with a food source such as a producer

10. Producer/autotroph An organism that uses energy and raw materials to make its own food, whether from photosynthesis or chemosynthesis

11. Consumer/heterotroph An organism that must eat producers or other consumers to survive

12. Herbivore An animal that eats plants

13. Carnivore An animals that feeds on other animals

14. Omnivore An animal that eats both plants and animals