Food Webs

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What is a food web?

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

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What are trophic levels?

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Trophic levels are the hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, defined by how organisms obtain their energy, including producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers.

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What is a primary consumer?

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A primary consumer is an organism that eats producers (plants) to obtain energy, 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 to obtain energy, often 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, often at the top of the food chain.

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What is an energy pyramid?

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An energy pyramid is a graphical representation that shows the amount of energy available at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

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How much energy is typically transferred from one trophic level to the next?

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Typically, only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next level, while 90% is lost as heat or used for metabolic processes.

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What role do decomposers play in a food web?

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Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and making them available for producers, thus playing a crucial role in nutrient cycling.

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

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

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What is a producer?

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A producer is an organism, usually a plant, that can make its own food through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food web.