Ecological Webs & Pyramids

Front

What is an ecological web?

Back

An ecological web is a complex network of interactions among organisms in an ecosystem, illustrating how energy and nutrients flow through different trophic levels.

Front

What are producers in an ecosystem?

Back

Producers are organisms, typically plants and algae, that can make their own food through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food web.

Front

Define heterotrophs.

Back

Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot produce their own food and must consume other organisms for energy, including herbivores, carnivores, and decomposers.

Front

What is biomass?

Back

Biomass is the total mass of all living organisms in a given area, often used to measure the amount of energy available in an ecosystem.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the soil and making them available for producers.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

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

Front

Explain the concept of trophic levels.

Back

Trophic levels represent the different stages in a food chain, categorized as producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers.

Front

What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

Back

A food chain is a simple linear pathway of energy flow, while a food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.

Front

What are primary consumers?

Back

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

Front

What is the significance of top predators in an ecosystem?

Back

Top predators help maintain the balance of ecosystems by controlling the populations of other species, preventing overpopulation and resource depletion.