Food Chains and Food Webs

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What is a food chain?

Back

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?

Back

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, usually a plant, that can make its own food through photosynthesis, providing energy for other organisms in the food chain.

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What is a consumer?

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A consumer is an organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other organisms (plants or animals) to obtain energy.

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What is a herbivore?

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A herbivore is an animal that primarily eats plants.

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What is a carnivore?

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A carnivore is an animal that primarily eats other animals.

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What is an omnivore?

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An omnivore is an animal that eats both plants and animals.

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What is the role of decomposers in a food chain?

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Decomposers break down dead organisms and waste, returning nutrients to the soil and making them available for producers.

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What happens if a top predator is removed from a food web?

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If a top predator is removed, it can lead to an increase in the population of its prey, which may then overconsume vegetation and disrupt the ecosystem.

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What is energy transfer in a food chain?

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Energy transfer in a food chain refers to the movement of energy from one trophic level to another, typically decreasing as it moves up the chain.