Food Chains/Webs Vocabulary

Front

What is a consumer in an ecosystem?

Back

A consumer is an organism that cannot produce its own food and must find and consume other organisms for energy. Also known as a heterotroph.

Front

What is a producer in an ecosystem?

Back

A producer is an organism that can create its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Also known as an autotroph.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem, illustrating how energy and nutrients flow between various organisms.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence that shows how energy flows from one organism to another in an ecosystem, typically starting with a producer and ending with a top predator.

Front

What does abiotic mean?

Back

Abiotic refers to nonliving components of an ecosystem, such as rocks, soil, water, and air.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and making them available for producers.

Front

What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

Back

A food chain is a simple, linear representation of energy flow, while a food web is a more complex network showing multiple interconnected food chains.

Front

What is an example of a primary consumer?

Back

An example of a primary consumer is a herbivore, such as a rabbit, that eats plants (producers).

Front

What is the significance of trophic levels in an ecosystem?

Back

Trophic levels represent the different stages in a food chain, indicating the flow of energy from producers to various levels of consumers.

Front

What is a top predator?

Back

A top predator is an organism at the top of the food chain that has no natural predators and plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem.