Question

Mr.X is eating curd or yogurt. For this food intake in a food chain, he should be considered as occupying
(a) First trophic level
(b) Second trophic level
(c) Third trophic level
(d) Fourth trophic level

Answer 1

Hint: The organisms that depend on primary consumers in the second trophic level examples humans are called secondary consumers occupy the trophic level next to primary consumers.

Complete answer:
In the predatory food chain, it consists of first, second, and third to fifth trophic levels where the first trophic level is occupied by producers i.e, plants. The animals which consume plants are placed in the second trophic level. They are primary consumers. Herbivores are included in this trophic level. The organisms that depend on the organisms in the second trophic level are called secondary consumers; they are categorized under the third trophic level. Curd and yogurt are the products of cow or buffalo that belong to the second trophic level. So, Mr.X who is eating either curd or yogurt belongs to the third trophic level.

Additional Information: - The predatory food chain or grazing food chain begins with primary producers called green plants. They are placed on the first trophic level. The second third and fourth trophic levels are occupied by herbivores, primary carnivores, and secondary carnivores respectively.
- In some food chains apart from secondary carnivores they include climax carnivores that occupy the fourth and fifth trophic levels
So, the correct answer is ‘third trophic level.

Note: The other two types of food chains along with the grazing food chain are the parasitic food chains and detritus food chains. The parasitic food chain is included in the grazing food chain by some authors. In parasitic food chains, energy passes from the largest organisms to small organisms.