Environ 5.1 Food Chain, Webs and Pyramids 21

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence that shows how energy and nutrients flow from one organism to another in an ecosystem, starting from producers to various levels of consumers.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem, illustrating how different organisms are related through feeding relationships.

Front

What is an autotroph?

Back

An autotroph is an organism that produces its own food using sunlight or chemical energy, such as plants and some bacteria.

Front

What is a consumer?

Back

A consumer is an organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other organisms to obtain energy.

Front

What is a carnivore?

Back

A carnivore is an animal that primarily eats other animals.

Front

What is an herbivore?

Back

An herbivore is an animal that primarily eats plants.

Front

What is an omnivore?

Back

An omnivore is an animal that eats both plants and animals.

Front

What is a decomposer?

Back

A decomposer is an organism that breaks down dead organic material, returning nutrients to the soil.

Front

What percentage of energy is typically lost at each trophic level?

Back

Typically, 90% of energy is lost at each trophic level as heat or used for survival.

Front

What is a trophic level?

Back

A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web, defined by how an organism obtains its energy.