ESH Food Chains & Food Webs

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, starting from producers to various levels of consumers.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem, illustrating how different organisms are related through feeding relationships.

Front

What percentage of energy is typically passed on to the next trophic level?

Back

10%.

Front

What is a producer in an ecosystem?

Back

A producer is an organism, typically a plant or algae, that can make its own food through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain.

Front

What is a primary consumer?

Back

A primary consumer is an herbivore that eats producers (plants) in a food chain.

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What is a secondary consumer?

Back

A secondary consumer is a carnivore that eats primary consumers in a food chain.

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What is a tertiary consumer?

Back

A tertiary consumer is a predator that eats secondary consumers in a food chain.

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 might happen if a key species is removed from a food web?

Back

The removal of a key species can disrupt the balance of the ecosystem, leading to population declines or increases in other species.

Front

What is an omnivore?

Back

An omnivore is an organism that eats both plants and animals.