Food Chain, Food Web and Ecological Pyramid

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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.

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What is a food web?

Back

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

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What are producers in an ecosystem?

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Producers are organisms, such as plants and algae, that can make their own food through photosynthesis, serving as the base of the food chain.

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What are primary consumers?

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Primary consumers are organisms that eat producers; they are typically herbivores that feed on plants.

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What are secondary consumers?

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Secondary consumers are organisms that eat primary consumers; they can be carnivores or omnivores.

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What is an ecological pyramid?

Back

An ecological pyramid is a graphical representation that shows the distribution of energy, biomass, or numbers of organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

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What is the significance of the energy pyramid?

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The energy pyramid illustrates how energy decreases as it moves up trophic levels, with producers having the most energy and top predators having the least.

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What do the arrows in a food web represent?

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The arrows in a food web indicate the direction of energy flow, pointing from the organism that is being eaten to the organism that is doing the eating.

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How do competition and predation differ in a food web?

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Competition occurs when organisms vie for the same resources, while predation involves one organism hunting and consuming another.

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What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

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Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the soil and making them available for producers.