Questions and Answers
Which of the following best describes a food chain?
A direct pathway of one animal at a time
What is the role of decomposer species in a food chain?
They break down dead organic matter
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain is linear, while a food web is a complex network
Who first introduced the concept of food chains?
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What is a common metric used to quantify food web trophic structure?
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Study Notes
Food Chain Basics
- A food chain is a series of organisms that eat other organisms, with each level being consumed by the next level.
- It shows how energy and nutrients are passed from one organism to another.
Decomposers in Food Chains
- Decomposer species, such as bacteria and fungi, break down dead organic matter into simple nutrients.
- These nutrients are then reused by producers, such as plants, to fuel the next generation of organisms.
Food Chain vs. Food Web
- A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms, whereas a food web is a complex network of multiple food chains interconnected.
- Food webs show how different organisms are connected and interact with each other.
History of Food Chains
- The concept of food chains was first introduced by Charles Elton in 1927.
Measuring Food Web Structure
- The trophic level is a common metric used to quantify food web trophic structure.
- It represents the position of an organism in the food chain, with producers at the base (trophic level 1) and apex predators at the top.
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