Food Webs

Front

What is a food web?

Back

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

Front

What role do apex predators play in an ecosystem?

Back

Apex predators help maintain the balance of ecosystems by controlling the populations of other species, preventing overpopulation and promoting biodiversity.

Front

What is a producer in an ecosystem?

Back

A producer is an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, such as plants and some bacteria.

Front

What is a decomposer?

Back

A decomposer is an organism that breaks down dead and decaying material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem, examples include fungi and bacteria.

Front

What is the primary source of energy in a food chain?

Back

The primary source of energy in a food chain is the Sun, which provides energy for producers to create food.

Front

What might happen if decomposers were removed from an ecosystem?

Back

If decomposers were removed, dead organic matter would accumulate, nutrients would not be recycled, and the ecosystem would become less productive.

Front

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

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms where each is eaten by the next, while a food web is a more complex network of multiple food chains.

Front

What do herbivores eat?

Back

Herbivores are animals that primarily eat plants or plant-based materials.

Front

What is the significance of insects in a food web?

Back

Insects can serve as both producers (in the case of some plants) and consumers (herbivores or carnivores), playing multiple roles in food webs.

Front

How do energy levels change as you move up a food chain?

Back

Energy levels decrease as you move up a food chain due to energy loss at each trophic level, primarily through metabolic processes.