Understanding Food Webs and Chains

A food web is a model that shows

• the types of foods different organisms can eat.

• the number of available food sources in any given ecosystem.

• the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

• the way different organisms use the energy they obtain from their food.

How do food webs represent the flow of energy in the model?

• Food web models represent energy flow using arrows.

• Food web models represent energy flow by separating predator and prey.

• Food web models represent energy flow by organizing organisms by size.

• Food web models represent energy flow through chemical reaction equations

Matter flowing through a food web

• take one path.

• take opposite paths.

• always takes the same path.

• can take more than one path.

A food chain is

• an individual path in a food web.

• a list of available prey for predators.

• a term to describe how matter is recycled in a food web.

• the chemical reaction that happens when an organism eats food.

Which of these describes a purpose of a food chain?

• A food chain attracts predators to available prey.

• A food chain tracks the transfer of matter and energy.

• A food chain teaches scientists how to add more predators to an ecosystem.

• A food chain tracks all the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

Which of these describes a direct effect of an interaction in a food web?

• An increase in rain causes an increase of coyotes.

• An increase in wildfires causes a decrease in rattlesnakes.

• An increase in humans causes a decrease in supermarkets.

• An increase in rabbits causes a decrease in plant populations.

Which of these is a decomposer?

• bacteria

• a dead worm

• a fox

• a hummingbird

Which of these is NOT a form of waste?

• dung

• shedding skin cells.

• dead leaves

• mushrooms

How is a decomposer also a consumer?

• A decomposer only eats consumers.

• A decomposer consumes only energy, but no matter.

• A decomposer consumes the remains of other organisms.

• A decomposer only consumes, but does not produce matter.

Which of these accurately describes the role of a decomposer?

• Decomposers keep consumers healthy.

• Decomposers act as nature's recyclers.

• Decomposers eliminate all unused matter.

• Decomposers act as prey for all organisms.