Ch 3 Flashcard Review

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem, showing how energy and nutrients flow through different trophic levels.

Front

What do all food webs and food chains begin with?

Back

All food webs and food chains begin with producers, which are organisms that can create their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Front

Define autotrophs.

Back

Autotrophs are organisms that capture energy from nonliving sources (like sunlight) and convert it into usable energy, primarily through photosynthesis.

Front

What percentage of energy is typically lost between each trophic level?

Back

On average, 90% of energy is lost between each trophic level due to metabolic processes and heat.

Front

Who are the primary producers?

Back

Primary producers are the first organisms in a food chain that produce energy-rich compounds, typically through photosynthesis.

Front

What is the role of primary consumers in a food chain?

Back

Primary consumers are organisms that eat primary producers; they are typically herbivores that obtain energy by consuming plants.

Front

Explain the difference between a food chain and a food web.

Back

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 interconnected food chains.

Front

What are decomposers?

Back

Decomposers are organisms that break down dead organic material, returning nutrients to the soil and completing the nutrient cycle.

Front

What is a trophic level?

Back

A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web that indicates the flow of energy and nutrients, such as producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers.

Front

Define heterotrophs.

Back

Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot produce their own food and must consume other organisms for energy.