Life on Earth - Food webs and chains

Question 1

What is a food chain?

Answer 1

One sequence of organisms through which energy flows when one organism eats another.

Question 2

Describe a food chain

Answer 2

The chain starts at the base with a producer (sunlight=source of energy for all) then energy flows to a primary consumer, then secondary consumer, then tertiary consumer and so on.

Question 3

What is a food web?

Answer 3

Diagram that shows the many paths energy can take as it flows through the species in an ecosystem.

IS ALSO KNOWN AS A SYSTEM OF INTERACTING FOOD CHAINS

Question 4

Describe a food web

Answer 4

Shows feeding interactions
* Energy flow arrows show which species are feeding on which, as energy moves from the prey → predator.

Shows competitive interactions
* Species feeding on the same prey must be in competition for it.
* Predicts impact of removing one species from the food web

Question 5

What would happen if a prey species gets removed from the food web?

Answer 5

• Predator species declines in population
• other prey species might also decline because predators will be forced to feed on them more than previously.

Question 6

What would happen if a predator species gets removed from the food web?

Answer 6

• Prey species become more common
• other predators become more common due to less competion.