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