Food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids

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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.

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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.

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What is a producer in an ecosystem?

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A producer is an organism, typically a plant, that can make its own food through photosynthesis, providing energy for other organisms in the food chain.

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What is a consumer?

Back

A consumer is an organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other organisms (plants or animals) to obtain energy.

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What is a primary consumer?

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

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What is a secondary consumer?

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

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What is a tertiary consumer?

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

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What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

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Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the soil and making them available for producers.

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What is an energy pyramid?

Back

An energy pyramid is a graphical representation that shows the flow of energy at each trophic level in an ecosystem, illustrating how energy decreases as it moves up the food chain.

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What happens to energy as it moves up the food chain?

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As energy moves up the food chain, it decreases significantly, with only about 10% of the energy being transferred to the next trophic level.