trophic ecology(The study of the feeding relationships of organisms in communities and ecosystems. Trophic links between populations represent flows of organisms, organic energy and nutrients. Trophic transfers are important in population dynamics, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem energetics)
trophic level(Any of the feeding levels through which the passage of energy through an ecosystem proceeds; examples are photosynthetic plants, herbivorous animals, and microorganisms of decay)