Food Chains
What is the first organism in every food chain?
A producer (plant or algae).
What is a food web?
A network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.
What is at the base of an energy pyramid?
Producers.
What is a decomposer?
An organism that breaks down dead plants and animals.
What is one way humans harm ecosystems?
Deforestation, pollution, or overfishing.
What is an organism that eats only plants called?
Herbivore
If a predator species is removed from a food web, what might happen?
Prey populations could increase, leading to overpopulation and food shortages.
What percentage of energy is typically passed from one trophic level to the next?
About 10%.
Name two decomposers.
Fungi and bacteria.
How does pollution affect food chains?
It can poison organisms, disrupt populations, and spread toxins up a food chain.
In this food chain: Grass → Rabbit → Fox, what is the rabbit’s role?
The primary consumer.
True or False: An animal can be part of more than one food chain.
True.
Why do carnivores have less available energy than herbivores?
Because energy is lost as heat at each trophic level.
Why are decomposers important in an ecosystem?
They recycle nutrients back into the soil for plants to use.
What happens to top predators when pesticides enter a food web?
They accumulate toxins in their bodies, which can harm or kill them.
What type of consumer eats both plants and animals?
An omnivore.
What do arrows in a food web represent?
The flow of energy from one organism to another.
Which trophic level has the least amount of energy?
The top predator (consumer) level.
What would happen if decomposers disappeared?
Dead organisms and waste would pile up, and nutrients would not return to the ecosystem.
What is one way humans can help ecosystems recover?
Protecting habitats, reducing pollution, or using renewable energy.
What happens to the energy as it moves up the food chain?
It decreases because some energy is lost as heat at each level.
Name a top predator in an ocean food web.
Sharks, orcas (killer whales), or large fish like tuna.
Why can’t an ecosystem support many top predators?
There is not enough energy available at the highest trophic level.
Which decomposer is also a type of fungus that helps break down dead trees?
Mushrooms.
What is an invasive species, and why is it harmful?
A non-native species that disrupts an ecosystem by outcompeting native species.