Ecosystems and Food Webs

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What is an ecosystem?

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An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (biotic factors) and their physical environment (abiotic factors) interacting as a system.

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What are biotic factors?

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Biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms.

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What are abiotic factors?

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Abiotic factors are the non-living components of an ecosystem, such as air, water, soil, and sunlight.

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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.

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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, showing how different organisms are related through feeding relationships.

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What is a producer?

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A producer is an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, such as plants and algae.

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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, like rabbits and grasshoppers.

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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, like foxes.

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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, defined by how an organism obtains its energy.

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What happens to energy as it moves up trophic levels?

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As energy moves up trophic levels, it decreases due to energy loss through metabolism and heat.