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Food Chains
and Webs
What is a Food Chain?
• A food chain is the path by which energy passes from one living thing to another.
Food Chain
Let’s Lookat a
Food Chain
• A food chain is a simplified way to look at the energy that passes from producers to consumers.
Types of Food Chains
• Aquatic- Water-related food chains with sea plants and animals
• Terrestrial- Land-related food chains with land plants and animals
What’s in a Food Chain?
•Producers
•Consumers
•Decomposers
Producers• Producers make
their own food• Green plants use
energy from the sun to make food
• Producers are on the bottom of the food chain
Produce
rs
The Producers
Producers are the beginning of a simple food chain. Producers are plants and vegetables.
The Producers All energy comes
from the Sun and plants are the ones who make food with that energy. They use the process of photosynthesis. Plants also make loads of other nutrients for other organisms to eat.
Consumers• Consumers hunt, gather, and
store food because they cannot make their own.
Consumers
are the next link in a food chain. There are
several levels of consumers that we will
discuss.
Primary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Tertiary Consumers
Levels of Consumers
•Tertiary consumers (3rd order) –Eat the primary and secondary consumers (CARNIVORES) ex: wolf eats cat and squirrel
•Secondary consumers (2nd Order)–Eat the primary consumers (CARNIVORES) example: cat eats squirrel
•Primary consumers (1st Order)–Worms, insects, squirrels, mice: all eat plants (HERBIVORES) ex: squirrel eats acorns
Consumers Are Also Called
• Herbivores
• Carnivores
• Omnivores
which is based on what they eat
Herbivores• Animals who eat plants such
as:–grasshoppers–rabbits–squirrels–deer–pandas
Carnivores• Animals who only eat other
animals such as:–tigers–lions–hawks–wolves–cougars
Omnivores• Animals who eat both plants
and animals such as:–humans–bears–They can be
EITHER primary or
secondary consumers.
The last links in the chain are the decomposers. (They break things down) Like bacteria, mold, fungi, mushrooms
•If you die, they eat you. •If you poop, they eat that. •If you lose a leaf, they eat it.
Whenever something that was alive dies, the decomposers get it.
The Decomposers
Decomposers break down nutrients in the dead "stuff" and
return it to the soil.
The producers can then use the nutrients and elements once
it's in the soil.
The decomposers complete the system, returning essential
molecules to the producers.
ScavengersThey eat the remains of dead organisms left by the consumers
Ex. vultures, coyotes, hyenas
Predator & Prey• Predator- An animal that
captures and eats other animals
• Prey- The animal that is captured and eaten
Food Web
Another Link in the Food Web
Everyone plays a specific role in the food web of life. You might be a human thinking they are king of the
hill or you might be a bacterium under the feet.
You are very important to the survival of the system no matter
what role you play.
In a Food web organisms are involved
with several other organisms. Food chains
are linked together to form a food web.
What is a Food Web?• A more realistic way of looking
at the relationship of plants and animals in an environment
• Several food chains linked together
• A predator from one food chain may be linked to the prey of another food chain
Food Webs• How many food chains can you
make from this food web?
Recap• What were the 3 types of
consumers?• What are some other names for
consumers that are based on what they eat?
• What is a decomposer?• What is a scavenger?• Where does the energy come
from? Explain.
The End