Food Chain
We can follow a sequence of organisms that feed on each other to create a food chain.
A food chain is a succession of organisms that feed on each other organisms that create a chain.
A food chain is divided into different trophic levels.
Trophic levels are levels are rankings of how organisms obtain their energy/food source.
A food chain always starts with an organism that gets its energy from an abiotic source, which is usually light from the sun known as the producer (autotroph).
For example: A prickly pear cactus, which obtains its energy from sunlight.
The producer is the eaten by a primary consumer (a heterotroph), because it is the first to eat the producer in the chain-usually a herbivore or omnivore.
For example: The prickly pear is eaten by an antelope squirrel.
The primary consumer is then eaten by secondary consumer, because it is the second consumer in the chain-usually a carnivore or an omnivore.
For example: The antelope squirrel is eaten by the diamondback rattlesnake.
The secondary consumer is then eaten by a tertiary consumer, because it is the third consumer in the chain-usually a carnivore or an omnivore.
For example: The diamondback rattlesnake is eaten by the roadrunner.
The tertiary consumer is then eaten by a quaternary consumer, because it is the fourth consumer in the chain-usually a carnivore or an omnivore.
For example: The roadrunner is eaten by the Red-tailed hawk.
A food chain is a succession of organisms that feed on each other organisms that create a chain.
A food chain is divided into different trophic levels.
Trophic levels are levels are rankings of how organisms obtain their energy/food source.
A food chain always starts with an organism that gets its energy from an abiotic source, which is usually light from the sun known as the producer (autotroph).
For example: A prickly pear cactus, which obtains its energy from sunlight.
The producer is the eaten by a primary consumer (a heterotroph), because it is the first to eat the producer in the chain-usually a herbivore or omnivore.
For example: The prickly pear is eaten by an antelope squirrel.
The primary consumer is then eaten by secondary consumer, because it is the second consumer in the chain-usually a carnivore or an omnivore.
For example: The antelope squirrel is eaten by the diamondback rattlesnake.
The secondary consumer is then eaten by a tertiary consumer, because it is the third consumer in the chain-usually a carnivore or an omnivore.
For example: The diamondback rattlesnake is eaten by the roadrunner.
The tertiary consumer is then eaten by a quaternary consumer, because it is the fourth consumer in the chain-usually a carnivore or an omnivore.
For example: The roadrunner is eaten by the Red-tailed hawk.
Detritivore
A few examples of land and marine decomposers.
There's just one more trophic level to talk about, and that's the level of the detritivore.
Detitivore also known as a decomposer is an organism that feeds on waste products or dead organic material.
Examples of detritivores include vultures, fungi, and bacteria. Since detritivores can take dead organic material and bring the stored energy back into the food web, they can be thought of as the recyclers of the ecosystem.
Detitivore also known as a decomposer is an organism that feeds on waste products or dead organic material.
Examples of detritivores include vultures, fungi, and bacteria. Since detritivores can take dead organic material and bring the stored energy back into the food web, they can be thought of as the recyclers of the ecosystem.
Food Web
Although, a food chain is a possible sequence of events that could happen, each of the animals in the food chain is usually capable of eating other food items as well. Each of them could also be eaten by other animals, which can lead to a combination of food chains that are interconnected to create a network of feeding relationships known as a food web.
Food web- is a combination of food webs due to the fact that organisms usually have more than one food source and more than one other organism that feeds upon them.
Food web- is a combination of food webs due to the fact that organisms usually have more than one food source and more than one other organism that feeds upon them.