Trophic means “relating to nutrition” or “relating to the growth of tissues and organisms.” The word derives from the Ancient Greek *trophḗ* (food, nourishment). In ecology (food chains), the term refers to the position of organisms within a food chain or food web (trophic level). For example, trophic groups classify animals as herbivores, carnivores, or decomposers, depending on how they obtain their food.

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