Feeding Relationships: Food Chains and Food Webs

A set of flashcards covering energy flow, trophic levels, food chains, and food webs as discussed in the Year 9 Biology Unit 8 Ecology lecture.

Where does all energy in ecosystems initially come from?

The Sun

What is a food chain?

A sequence in which energy is transferred from organism to organism as food, showing what organism eats what in a community.

What do the arrows in a food chain represent?

The transfer of energy between organisms (energy flow).

What is each step in a food chain called?

A trophic level.

How many trophic levels are typically found in a food chain?

Usually not more than $4$ trophic levels.

In the example food chain provided (Maize -> Locust -> Lizard -> Snake), what are the roles of each organism?

Maize is the producer, Locust is the primary consumer, Lizard is the secondary consumer, and Snake is the tertiary consumer.

What is a food web?

A food web is made up of interconnected food chains.

Why are food webs considered truer representations of biotic interactions than food chains?

Because most animals eat more than one type of plant or animal.

According to the 'Food Web in a Forest' diagram, what are examples of primary consumers?

Goat, Rabbit, and Mouse.

According to the 'Food Web in a Forest' diagram, what are examples of secondary consumers?

Jackal, Wild Cat, Owl, and Snake.

According to the 'Food Web in a Forest' diagram, what are examples of tertiary consumers?

Lion and Kite.

Who is the top predator in the provided 'Food Web in a Forest'?

The Lion.