What is the role of an autotroph in an ecosystem?

Answer 1

Without autotrophs, no other organisims would live in that environment because they are the bottom of the food chain and everything relies on them. They take light energy and make organic molecules such as glucose and starch from it. When a ecosystem strats to grow from scratch(after a volcanic erruption), an autotroph called lichin is what turns cooled magma into soil and then plants can grow, followed by omnivores, followed by carnivores. This then becomes an ecosystem. Without autotrophs, this wouldn't happen and the earch would be bare.

(AP biology)

Answer 2

autotrophs are organisms that produce their own food. They are vital to the food chain because they provide food for the hetertrophs in the system. In essence, if there were no autotrophs, we would not have any food. For example, grass is an autotroph. Cows eat the grass, we eat cows. Without the autotroph, in this case grass, the cows wouldn't have any food, thus they would slowly die out. Then, we wouldn't have the chance to eat beef. Autotrophs are also mostly plants.

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Answer 3

Autotrophs are a vital part of the food chains of all ecosystems. They take energy from the sun or from inorganic sources and convert it into a form (carbon-based or organic molecules) that is used to carry out various biological functions such as cell growth.

Answer 4

To supply the initial raw material of the food chain. Example: the plants on Earth and Algae (or plancton) in the sea.