Energy Flow in Ecosystems

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What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains that shows how energy and nutrients flow through an ecosystem.

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What is a food chain?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence that shows how energy is transferred from one organism to another in an ecosystem.

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What are producers in an ecosystem?

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Producers are organisms, like plants, that create their own food through photosynthesis and form 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) to obtain energy.

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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 at the top of the food chain.

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What is energy loss in a food chain?

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Energy loss refers to the decrease in energy available at each trophic level due to metabolic processes, heat loss, and waste.

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What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

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Decomposers break down dead organisms and waste, recycling nutrients back into the soil.

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What is a trophic level?

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A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web, defined by how an organism obtains energy.

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What is the difference between autotrophs and heterotrophs?

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Autotrophs produce their own food (e.g., plants), while heterotrophs consume other organisms for energy (e.g., animals).