Food webs & Energy pyramids

Front

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 an energy pyramid?

Back

An energy pyramid is a graphical representation that shows the distribution of energy among trophic levels in an ecosystem.

Front

What is a producer?

Back

A producer is an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, serving as the base of the food web.

Front

What is a primary consumer?

Back

A primary consumer is an organism that eats producers; they are typically herbivores.

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What is a secondary consumer?

Back

A secondary consumer is an organism that eats primary consumers; they can be carnivores or omnivores.

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What is a tertiary consumer?

Back

A tertiary consumer is an organism that eats secondary consumers; they are often top predators in the food web.

Front

What percentage of energy is typically transferred from one trophic level to the next?

Back

About 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.

Front

What happens to the energy that is not transferred to the next trophic level?

Back

The energy that is not transferred is used for metabolic processes, lost as heat, or not consumed.

Front

What role do decomposers play in a food web?

Back

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

Front

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

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A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms where each is eaten by the next, while a food web is a more complex network of multiple food chains.