Food Chains and Food 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, starting from producers to various levels of consumers.

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What are producers in a food chain?

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Producers are organisms, usually plants, that create their own food through photosynthesis and serve as the base of the food chain.

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What are primary consumers?

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Primary consumers are herbivores that eat producers (plants) in a food chain.

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What are secondary consumers?

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

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What are tertiary consumers?

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

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What is a food web?

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

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What role do decomposers play in a food chain?

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

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What happens if a key species is removed from a food web?

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Removing a key species can disrupt the balance of the ecosystem, leading to population increases or decreases in other species.

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What is an omnivore?

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

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What is a carnivore?

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A carnivore is an organism that primarily eats other animals.