Food Webs and Energy Pyramids

Front

What is a producer in a food web?

Back

A producer is an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, serving as the base of the food chain.

Front

What is a consumer in a food web?

Back

A consumer is an organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other organisms for energy.

Front

What are the three main types of consumers?

Back

Herbivores (plant eaters), Carnivores (meat eaters), and Omnivores (both plant and meat eaters).

Front

What is an energy pyramid?

Back

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

Front

What happens to energy as it moves up the energy pyramid?

Back

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

Front

What is the role of herbivores in a food web?

Back

Herbivores are primary consumers that eat producers (plants) and transfer energy to higher trophic levels.

Front

What is the apex predator?

Back

An apex predator is a top-level consumer that has no natural predators and is at the top of the food chain.

Front

What is the significance of decomposers in a food web?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem for use by producers.

Front

How do energy pyramids illustrate the concept of energy transfer?

Back

Energy pyramids show how energy decreases at each trophic level, illustrating the inefficiency of energy transfer in ecosystems.

Front

What is a trophic level?

Back

A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web that indicates the organism's role in energy transfer.