Food Webs

Question 1

What is a FOOD WEB?

Answer 1

The pathway of consumption and energy flow from one trophic level to another

Question 2

Name the sections of a FOOD WEB.

Answer 2

Primary producer (autotroph)
Primary consumer (heterotroph)
Secondary consumer (heterotroph)
Tertiary consumer (top predator)
Microbial loop

Question 3

Why are food webs COMPLEX?

Answer 3

Low levels of specialism (things eat the same)
Openness of marine systems (organisms can move to find food)
Size changes
Long life spans (ontogenetic shifts)

Question 4

What is BOTTOM-UP CONTROL?

Answer 4

Regulation where resource availability drives food web stability

Question 5

What is TOP-DOWN CONTROL?

Answer 5

Regulation driven by predator-prey interactions or grazing
Hard to test but can be seen from human exploitation

Question 6

Explain a TROPHIC CASCADE.

Answer 6

Ecological phenomenon triggered by adding or removing top-predators which causes dramatic changes in the populations of other animals in the food chain

Question 7

Explain MESOPREDATOR RELEASE

Answer 7

A phenomenon where populations of medium-sized predators rapidly increase after the removal of the top predators