Food Chains and Food Webs

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What is a food chain?

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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?

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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 trophic levels?

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Trophic levels are the different levels in a food chain or food web, categorized as producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers.

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What role do producers play in a food chain?

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Producers, such as plants, are organisms that create their own food through photosynthesis and form the base of the food chain.

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What is the role of consumers in a food chain?

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Consumers are organisms that obtain energy by eating other organisms. They can be classified as primary, secondary, or tertiary consumers based on their position in the food chain.

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What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

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Decomposers, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and completing the nutrient cycle.

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How does energy flow in a food chain?

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Energy flows from producers to consumers, with each level receiving less energy than the one before it due to energy loss through metabolic processes.

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What is a primary consumer?

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

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What is a secondary consumer?

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

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What is a tertiary consumer?

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