5.3.2 FOOD CHAINS AND WEBS

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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 are producers?

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Producers are organisms, like plants, that create their own food through photosynthesis and are the first trophic level in a food chain.

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What are primary consumers?

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Primary consumers are herbivores that eat producers. They are the second trophic level in a food chain.

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What are secondary consumers?

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Secondary consumers are carnivores that eat primary consumers. They are the third trophic level in a food chain.

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What are tertiary consumers?

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Tertiary consumers are top predators that eat secondary consumers. They are the fourth trophic level in a food chain.

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What is an apex predator?

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An apex predator is an animal at the top of the food chain with no natural predators, such as a mountain lion.

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What are biotic factors?

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Biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem, including 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 sunlight, water, and soil.

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How does energy flow in an ecosystem?

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Energy flows from the sun to producers, then to primary consumers, secondary consumers, and finally to tertiary consumers.