Identify an example of organisms that do NOT belong to the third trophic level.

The correct answer is Cow.

Key Points

• Food chain: 
  • A food chain shows the feeding relationship between different organisms in a particular environment and/or habitat.
  • A food chain shows how energy is passed from the sun to producers, from producers to consumers, and from consumers to decomposes such as fungi. 
  • They also show how animals depend on other organisms for food.
  • In a food chain of Grass > Cow > wolf > Tiger, the frog occupies the third trophic level as it eats insects and further becomes the food for the snake.
• Tropic level: 
  • Based on the source of their nutrition or food, organisms occupy a specific place in the food chain that is known as their trophic level.
  • Producers belong to the first trophic level, herbivores (primary consumers) to the second, and carnivores (secondary consumers) to the third. The important point to note is that the amount of energy decreases at successive trophic levels.
  • Primary producers are at the first tropic level - They produce food on their own with the help of photosynthesis. Ex- plants, trees.
  • Primary Consumers are herbivores animals, whose nutrition is directly based on plant products. Ex- Cow, deer, grasshoppers, small insects, etc.
  • Secondary consumers are carnivorous animals Like- small birds, wolfs, etc.
  • Tertiary Consumers are the top-level carnivore like men, lions, etc.
  • Only 10% of energy is transferred to higher levels from the previous one. So, the demand for food is more in higher levels.

Additional Information