Ecosystem Vocabulary & Models - OL

Front

What are tertiary consumers?

Back

Tertiary consumers are organisms that eat secondary consumers and are typically at the top of the food chain. They are often carnivores.

Front

What is a primary consumer?

Back

A primary consumer is an organism that eats producers (plants). An example is a grasshopper.

Front

What role do producers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Producers are organisms that create their own food through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain. Examples include plants and algae.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem, showing how energy and nutrients flow.

Front

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

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms where each is eaten by the next, while a food web is a more complex interconnection of multiple food chains.

Front

What are secondary consumers?

Back

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

Front

What is the significance of trophic levels?

Back

Trophic levels represent the position of an organism in a food chain, indicating its role in energy transfer.

Front

What happens to energy as it moves up the food chain?

Back

Energy decreases as it moves up the food chain due to energy loss at each trophic level, primarily through metabolic processes.

Front

What is an example of a tertiary consumer?

Back

An example of a tertiary consumer is a hawk that eats snakes.

Front

What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and helping to recycle energy in the ecosystem.