Food Chain, Webs and Pyramids

Front

What is a decomposer?

Back

An organism that breaks down dead organic matter into simpler substances, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Front

What is another name for a producer?

Back

Autotroph, which refers to organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support.

Front

If there is 1000 Kcal available in the producers, how much energy is available in the herbivores?

Back

100 Kcal, as energy decreases at each trophic level due to energy loss.

Front

Which organisms have the most energy available in an energy pyramid?

Back

Producers, as they are at the base of the pyramid and convert sunlight into energy.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem, showing how different organisms are related.

Front

What is a trophic level?

Back

Each step in a food chain or food web, representing a different level of energy transfer.

Front

What is a primary consumer?

Back

An organism that eats producers; typically herbivores that consume plants.

Front

What is a secondary consumer?

Back

An organism that eats primary consumers; can be carnivores or omnivores.