Which level of the food chain includes millipede, springtails, woodlice, dung flies and slugs that feed on the dead or decaying plants or animals?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

SSC CHSL 2021 (Held On : 24 May 2022 Shift 1)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Detritivores.

Key Points

Detritivorous animals include millipedes, springtails, woodlice, dung flies, slugs, many terrestrial worms, sea stars, sea cucumbers, and fiddler crabs.
Decomposers (detritivores) break down dead plant and animal material and wastes and release them again as energy and nutrients into the ecosystem for recycling.
Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi (mushrooms), feed on waste and dead matter, converting it into inorganic chemicals that can be recycled as mineral nutrients for plants to use again.

Important Points

Trophic levels can be represented by numbers, starting at level 1 with plants.
Further trophic levels are numbered subsequently according to how far the organism is along the food chain.
- Level 1: Plants and algae make their own food and are called producers.
- Level 2: Herbivores eat plants and are called primary consumers.
- Level 3: Carnivores that eat herbivores are called secondary consumers.
- Level 4: Carnivores that eat other carnivores are called tertiary consumers.
- Level 6: Decomposers.