food chain and food web

Front

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.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains that illustrates how different organisms in an ecosystem are related through feeding relationships.

Front

What are producers in a food chain?

Back

Producers are organisms, typically plants, that create their own food through photosynthesis and form the base of the food chain.

Front

What are primary consumers?

Back

Primary consumers are herbivores that eat producers (plants) and are the second level in a food chain.

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What are secondary consumers?

Back

Secondary consumers are organisms that eat primary consumers; they can be carnivores or omnivores.

Front

What are tertiary consumers?

Back

Tertiary consumers are predators that eat secondary consumers and are often at the top of the food chain.

Front

What role do decomposers play in a food web?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and completing the nutrient cycle.

Front

Why might an organism have more than one arrow coming from it in a food web?

Back

An organism may have more than one arrow coming from it because it may eat multiple organisms or provide energy to multiple consumers.

Front

Which organism typically has the most energy in a food chain?

Back

Producers, such as plants, typically have the most energy in a food chain.

Front

Which organism typically has the least energy in a food chain?

Back

Tertiary consumers, such as top predators, typically have the least energy in a food chain.