Food Chains, Food Webs, & Energy Pyramids

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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 in an ecosystem, illustrating how different organisms are related through feeding relationships.

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What are producers?

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

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What are consumers?

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Consumers are organisms that cannot produce their own food and rely on eating other organisms for energy. They can be herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores.

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What are decomposers?

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Decomposers are organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, that break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and completing the cycle of matter in an ecosystem.

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What is an energy pyramid?

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An energy pyramid is a graphical representation that shows the flow of energy at different trophic levels in an ecosystem, with producers at the base and top predators at the apex.

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What is a trophic level?

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A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web that indicates the organism's role in the flow of energy, such as producer, primary consumer, or secondary consumer.

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What is the role of herbivores in a food chain?

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Herbivores are primary consumers that eat plants (producers) and convert the energy stored in plants into energy for themselves.

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What is the difference between a predator and prey?

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A predator is an organism that hunts and eats other organisms (prey), while prey is the organism that is hunted and consumed.

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What is an omnivore?

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An omnivore is an organism that eats both plants and animals, allowing it to occupy multiple trophic levels in a food web.