Food Webs and Ecological Pyramids

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What is a food web?

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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.

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What is a trophic level?

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A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web, defined by how organisms obtain their energy, such as producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers.

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What is the role of producers in a food web?

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Producers, or autotrophs, are organisms that create their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, forming the base of the food web.

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What is the energy transfer efficiency between trophic levels?

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Energy transfer efficiency between trophic levels is typically around 10%, meaning only about 10% of the energy from one level is passed to the next.

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What is a primary consumer?

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A primary consumer is an organism that eats producers; they are usually herbivores that obtain energy by consuming plants.

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What is a secondary consumer?

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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?

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

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What is a heterotroph?

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A heterotroph is an organism that cannot produce its own food and must consume other organisms for energy.

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What percentage of energy is lost at each trophic level?

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Approximately 90% of energy is lost as heat and through metabolic processes at each trophic level.

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What is the significance of the sun in food webs?

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The sun is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems, as it provides the energy needed for photosynthesis in producers.