Understanding food webs and food chains

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, showing how different organisms are related through feeding relationships.

Front

What is a producer?

Back

A producer is an organism, usually a plant, that can make its own food through photosynthesis and serves as the base of the food chain.

Front

What is a primary consumer?

Back

A primary consumer is an organism that eats producers; they are typically herbivores.

Front

What is a secondary consumer?

Back

A secondary consumer is an organism that eats primary consumers; they can be carnivores or omnivores.

Front

What is a tertiary consumer?

Back

A tertiary consumer is an organism that eats secondary consumers; they are often at the top of the food chain.

Front

What role do decomposers play in a food web?

Back

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

Front

Give an example of a primary consumer.

Back

Examples of primary consumers include rabbits, deer, and grasshoppers.

Front

Give an example of a secondary consumer.

Back

Examples of secondary consumers include mice, snakes, and some birds.

Front

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

Back

A food chain is a simple, linear sequence of who-eats-who, while a food web is a more complex network of multiple food chains.