Producers are the foundation of every food web in every ecosystem—they occupy what is called the first tropic level of the food web. The second trophic level consists of primary consumers—the herbivores, or animals that eat plants. At the top level are secondary consumers—the carnivores and omnivores who eat the primary consumers. Ultimately, decomposers break down dead organisms, returning vital nutrients to the soil, and restarting the cycle. Another name for producers is autotrophs, which means “self-nourishers.” There are two kinds of autotrophs. The most common are photoautotrophs—producers that carry out photosynthesis. Trees, grasses, and shrubs are the most important terrestrial photoautotrophs. In most aquatic ecosystems, including lakes and oceans, algae are the most important photoautotrophs.
