Trophic Interactions

Definition

Trophic interactions refer to the feeding relationships between different organisms in an ecosystem. It describes how energy and nutrients flow through a food chain or food web.

Analogy

Think of trophic interactions as a game of "pass the energy." Just like in a game of hot potato, each organism in the food chain passes on energy to the next organism as they eat each other.

Related terms

Trophic Cascade: A trophic cascade occurs when changes at one trophic level in an ecosystem affect multiple levels below it. For example, if there is a decrease in predators, it can lead to an increase in prey populations.

Negative Feedback Loops: Negative feedback loops are regulatory mechanisms that help maintain balance within ecosystems. They work by reducing or reversing any changes that occur. An example is when an increase in herbivore population leads to increased predation, which then decreases the herbivore population again.

Food Chain: A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms where each organism serves as a source of food for the next organism. It represents the transfer of energy and nutrients from one organism to another.