Food Chains and Food Webs

Front

What do you call organisms that eat ONLY producers?

Back

Herbivores are organisms that primarily consume plants (producers) for energy.

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.

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?

Back

Producers are organisms, like plants and phytoplankton, that create their own food through photosynthesis.

Front

What are primary consumers?

Back

Primary consumers are herbivores that eat producers to obtain energy.

Front

What are secondary consumers?

Back

Secondary consumers are carnivores that eat primary consumers for energy.

Front

What is an apex predator?

Back

An apex predator is a top predator in an ecosystem that has no natural enemies.

Front

How much energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next?

Back

Typically, only about 10% of the energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, with the rest lost as heat.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

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

Front

What is the significance of phytoplankton in a food web?

Back

Phytoplankton are crucial as primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, forming the base of the food web.