Food Chains and Webs Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What travels through a food chain or web?

Energy

What is the ultimate energy source for all life on Earth?

Sun

Food chains start with what?

Primary producer

The 1st organism in a food chain must always be what type of organism?

Autotrophs Signup and view all the answers

Name 2 food-making processes.

Photosynthesis, chemosynthesis Signup and view all the answers

Where do chemosynthetic bacteria get their energy?

Boiling hot deep sea vents Signup and view all the answers

Define herbivore.

Organisms that eat producers Signup and view all the answers

Herbivores are also called _________________.

Primary consumers Signup and view all the answers

What are animals called that feed on herbivores?

Secondary consumers Signup and view all the answers

Secondary consumers are eaten by larger _____________.

Predators Signup and view all the answers

_____________ consumers eat secondary consumers.

Tertiary Signup and view all the answers

Make a food chain with a producer and 3 consumers.

Flower --- Butterfly --- Frog --- Snake --- Hawk Signup and view all the answers

What is used to indicate the flow of energy in a food chain or web?

Arrows Signup and view all the answers

What happens to energy as we move from step to step in a chain or web?

Energy is lost Signup and view all the answers

Define food web.

A network of many food chains Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by trophic levels?

The position it holds in the food chain Signup and view all the answers

Define autotroph.

Organisms that make their own food from sunlight and/or chemical energy from deep sea vents Signup and view all the answers

The 1st trophic level consists of _ consumers called _.

Primary, autotrophs Signup and view all the answers

Name the 2nd trophic level (both names).

Primary consumers, herbivores Signup and view all the answers

Secondary consumers may be ___ eating meat or that eat both plants and animals.

Carnivores, omnivores Signup and view all the answers

What is the 3rd trophic level called?

Secondary consumers Signup and view all the answers

What is the 4th trophic level called?

Tertiary consumers Signup and view all the answers

At the 5th trophic level would be _ consumers that eat __ consumers.

Quaternary, tertiary Signup and view all the answers

Give an example of 3 detritivores. On what do they feed?

Vultures, worms, and crabs Signup and view all the answers

What organism feeds on dead plants and animals and helps recycle them?

Decomposers Signup and view all the answers

Both and __ act as decomposers.

Bacteria, fungi Signup and view all the answers

Can an organism fill more than one trophic level?

False Signup and view all the answers

In food chains and webs, what trophic level must you have more of than others?

More autotrophs than heterotrophs Signup and view all the answers

Each trophic level has how much LESS energy?

10% Signup and view all the answers

What may happen if a species goes extinct?

Effect entire chain of other species and have unpredictable consequences Signup and view all the answers

What do the arrows in a food chain represent?

Flow of energy Signup and view all the answers

A food chain starts with an _________________ source?

Primary energy Signup and view all the answers

Organisms that make their own food are called _ or ___.

Primary producers, autotrophs Signup and view all the answers

Organisms that eat plants are called _ or ___.

Primary consumers, herbivores Signup and view all the answers

An animal with no natural enemies is a ________________.

Quaternary consumer Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Energy Flow in Food Chains and Webs

Energy travels through food chains and webs, essential for sustaining life.
The ultimate energy source for all life on Earth is the Sun.

Primary Producers and Autotrophs

Food chains begin with primary producers, known as autotrophs.
Autotrophs create their own food through processes like photosynthesis and chemosynthesis.
Chemosynthetic bacteria derive energy from boiling hot deep-sea vents.

Consumer Identification

Herbivores, or primary consumers, are organisms that consume producers.
Secondary consumers feed on herbivores, while tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers.
Quaternary consumers exist at the top of the food chain with no natural enemies.

Energy Transfer and Loss

Arrows in food chains represent the flow of energy.
As energy moves through trophic levels, approximately 90% is lost at each step.

Trophic Levels

The first trophic level consists of primary consumers (autotrophs).
The second trophic level consists of primary consumers (herbivores).
Secondary consumers can be carnivores or omnivores, while tertiary consumers follow them.
The fifth trophic level is made up of quaternary consumers that eat tertiary consumers.

Decomposers and Nutrient Recycling

Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, recycle nutrients by feeding on dead plants and animals.
Detrivores like vultures, worms, and crabs also play a key role in breaking down organic matter.

Species Interactions and Chain Effects

An organism can occupy multiple trophic levels; for example, bears can be both omnivores and predators.
Maintaining a higher number of autotrophs than heterotrophs is crucial for ecosystem balance.
If a species goes extinct, it can impact the entire food chain, leading to unpredictable consequences.

Summary of Key Concepts

Each trophic level represents a different position in the food web, affecting energy availability and species interactions.
Understanding food chains and webs is vital for grasping ecological relationships and the significance of energy flow in ecosystems.

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Description

Test your knowledge of food chains and webs with these flashcards focusing on energy flow and producers. Discover essential concepts like the role of sunlight and primary producers in ecosystems. Perfect for students learning about ecology!