Eng Food Webs & Chains

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What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem, showing how energy and nutrients flow between different organisms.

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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.

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Define producers in an ecosystem.

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Producers are organisms, typically 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) and are the second level 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 typically at the top of the food chain.

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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 and supporting new plant growth.

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What is the significance of trophic levels?

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Trophic levels represent the different stages in a food chain, indicating the flow of energy from producers to various levels of consumers.

Front

Explain the concept of energy loss in a food chain.

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As energy moves up the food chain, approximately 90% of energy is lost at each trophic level due to metabolic processes, heat, and waste.

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What is a top predator?

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A top predator is an animal at the top of the food chain with no natural predators, playing a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem.