Trophic group
From Palaeos
| TROPHIC STRUCTURE |
| Guild | Food chain | Food pyramid | Food web | Nutritional group | Productivity | Trophic group | Trophic level |
A Trophic group refers to a category of organisms within a trophic structure, defined according to their mode of feeding.
Based on their mode of feeding, organisms can be referred to a small number of trophic groups. These include:
- Primary Producers - produce food from sunlight (photosynthesis) or chemical reactions (plants, photosynthetic and chemautotropic bacteria)
- Herbivores - feed on living plants. They include
- Carnivores / Predators - capture, kill, dismember (usually), and feed on live prey.
- Omnivores - feeds on animals or plants, generally anything it can find
- Scavengers - consume dead and/or partially decayed organisms. Most tetrapod predators will also scavenge (generally easier than tackling a live and fighting prey)
- Parasites - feed on another (usually larger) organism (whether plant or animal) without (usually) killing it. Two kinds: ectoparasites live externally to the host, while endoparasites live internally. Parasitoids (such as ichneumon wasps) differ from true parasites by eventually killing the host.
- Suspension feeders (also called Filter feeders) - collect particulate matter or microorganisms from suspension in the water without need to subdue or dismember the particles.
- Detritivores - feed on decaying organic matter in the soil
- Deposit-feeders (aquatic) - collect particulate matter from the sediment
- Decomposer - breaks down decaying organic matter - e.g. Fungi, bacteria
| TROPHIC GROUP |
| Carnivore | Deposit feeder | Herbivore | Omnivore | Parasite | Scavenger | Suspension feeder |
[edit] Reference
- Benchley, P.J. & Harper, D.A.T. (1998), Palaeoecology: Ecosystems, Environments and Evolution, Chapman & Hall, pp.240-1
[edit] Credits
MAK010508, Palaeos com MAK020519, Palaeos org MAK061101
