what is food web

1.	what is food web
Answer» Food webis an important ecological concept. Basically,food webrepresents feeding relationships within a community (Smith and Smith 2009). ... In a detritalfood chain, dead organic matter of plants and animals is broken down by decomposers, e.g., bacteria and fungi, and moves to detritivores and then carnivores Afood web(orfoodcycle) is the natural interconnection offood chainsand a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in an ecological community. Another name forfood webis consumer-resource system. ... Some of the organic matter eaten by heterotrophs, such as sugars, provides energy. All life needs energy. Whether living organisms make energy themselves or get it from the food they hunt, they need it to maintain and repair their bodies. Reproduction, hunting, growth, cell division, and metabolism are all processes that require energy. The sun is the ultimate source of energy for life on Earth. Without it, nothing would be able to survive. As a result, living things have evolved special ways to harness the energy of the sun and use it for their own well-being. They have also developed special relationships and interactions that allow energy to be transferred. Once the energy has been captured, it gets passed around through the various organisms in a particular area. This transfer of energy is called afood web. In their simplest form, food webs are made of food chains.Food chainsshow a direct transfer of energy between organisms. A chain might involve a mouse eating some seeds on the forest floor. Then, a snake comes along and eats the mouse. A while later, an owl eats the snake. With each step, some of the energy from the sun, which is trapped within the seeds, is getting passed on. Food chains do not accurately portray the transfer of energy in an ecosystem. This is because there are often multiple organisms that can be eaten, and many that can do the eating. For example, the aforementioned mouse might eat seeds, but it also might eat some berries, or maybe even some grass. The mouse might be eaten by a snake, or the owl, or even a fox. The snake could be eaten be the owl, but also might get eaten by a fox or a coyote in the forest. Since each organism can eat multiple things and be eaten by multiple things, a food web is a much more realistic schematic of the transfer of energy within an ecosystem. Producers Often considered the bottom of the food chain,producersare the organisms that make their own food and serve as the foundation for all food chains and webs. Producers are organisms such as plants, algae, and even some bacteria. They make their own energy by converting sunlight into sugars through a process calledphotosynthesis. They use the sunlight as an energy source to convert carbon dioxide in the air into glucose (a simple sugar that can easily be broken down for energy). The producers then store this sugar and use it for energy later on. In marine ecosystems, the producers are dominated by algae, plant-like organisms. Algae can be microscopic, like diatoms, or they can be quite large, like the giant kelp found off the coast of California. Either way, the oceans are the prime spot on the planet for producers. Since water covers 72 percent of the planet, it only makes sense that most of the oxygen on the earth comes from the oceans. In fact, the diatoms alone make about 30 percent of it! Rainforests are another ecosystem that has many producers. Even though rainforests only cover about six percent of the earth's surface, they produce about 40 percent of the oxygen because of all the plants that live there. Since rainforests and the oceans are so plentiful in terms of the number of producers, there are many food webs that exist in each of these ecosystems. The plants and algae provide energy for many creatures living in these areas. Primary Consumers Primary consumers(also calledherbivores) are those animals that eat producers. Many times, primary consumers are also considered prey species because they quite often get eaten by other animals. Primary consumers living on land include: deer, antelope, chipmunks, mice, many insects, many birds, horses, and even elephants. Marine primary consumers include: many types of fish, zooplankton (microscopic animals that float in the water), snails, sea urchins, and krill (small shrimp-like creatures that are part of the plankton). Even though primary consumers are eating plants, they are still getting their energy from the sun. It was the sun that allowed the plants to grow. As the primary consumers are eating the plants, they break them down and release their energy. However, since some of the sun's energy was used by the plant itself, primary consumers do not get 100 percent of the sun's energy. In fact, they only get 10 percent of the energy. This is called the10 percent rule, only 10 percent of the energy available gets passed onto the next level of consumers. Secondary Consumers Secondary consumersare animals that eat other animals. These animals eat meat and are often called predators, because they hunt their prey. Terrestrial secondary consumers include: lions, snakes, hawks, hyenas, coyotes, wolves, and spiders. Those that live in the oceans include: killer whales, bluefish, sharks, lobsters, sea stars, sea anemones, and sea turtles. Like the primary consumers, the secondary consumers are also getting energy from the sun, albeit indirectly. The secondary consumers are eating the primary consumers that ate the producers. As a result, the amount of energy transferred to the secondary consumers is even smaller than that obtained by the primary consumers. Due to the10 percent rule, the amount of energy available to the secondary consumers is only 1 percent of the original sun's energy. This means that secondary consumers have to eat more often or take down larger prey in order to meet all of their energy demands. A special group of consumers that bridges the primary and secondary consumers is called theomnivoregroup. These are animals that eat both plants and animals, so they fit into both categories. Most of the time, omnivores are meat-eaters, but when conditions are tough and meat is scarce (like during the winter), they can switch to eating plant matter. Bears, pigs, and even humans are considered omnivores. food web(orfood cycle) is the natural interconnection offood chainsand a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in anecological community. Another name for food web isconsumer-resource system. Ecologists can broadly lump all life forms into one of two categories calledtrophic levels: 1) theautotrophs, and 2) theheterotrophs food web is the group of many food chains.. Afood web(orfoodcycle) is the natural interconnection offood chainsand a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in an ecological community. Another name forfood webis consumer-resource system. ... Some of the organic matter eaten by heterotrophs, such as sugars, provides energy food web is an important ecological concept A food chain is a linear network of links in a food web starting from producer organisms and ending at apex predator species, detritivores, or decomposer species. A food chain also shows how the organisms are related with each other by the food they eat. Each level of a food chain represents a different trophic level.Wikipedia Afood web(orfoodcycle) is the natural interconnection offood chainsand a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in an ecological community. Another name forfood webis consumer-resource system. ... Some of the organic matter eaten by heterotrophs, such as sugars, provides energy A food web (or food cycle) is the natural interconnection of food chains and a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in an ecological community. Another name for food web is consumer-resource system. ... Some of the organic matter eaten by heterotrophs, such as sugars, provides energy food webis similar to afood chainbut larger. ...Foodwebs show how plants and animals are connected in many ways. The arrow points from the organism being eaten to the organism that eats it. Afood web(orfoodcycle) is a natural interconnection offood chains. Afood web(orfoodcycle) is the natural interconnection offood chainsand a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in an ecological community. Another name forfood webis consumer-resource system. ... Some of the organic matter eaten by heterotrophs, such as sugars, provides energy. Answer: A food web is made up of several food chains and a food pyramid includesenergy flowup the food chain. Explanation: Food chain: A food chain describes the feeding relationships of different organisms in a linear fashion. This is the simplest way of showing feeding relationships. Food web: A food web shows multiple food chains, multiple relationships and connections. This a more complicated but more realistic way of showing feeding relationships, as most organisms consume more than one species and are consumed by more than one species. Food pyramid: More commonly known as anenergy pyramid, a food pyramid takes the food chain but uses it to show how energy moves through a community. Because each organism uses some of the energy it received from the previous level for growth and other processes, the energy available to the next level is less (because some of that energy has been used). This is why we have more primary producers than carnivores.

Answer»

Food webis an important ecological concept. Basically,food webrepresents feeding relationships within a community (Smith and Smith 2009). ... In a detritalfood chain, dead organic matter of plants and animals is broken down by decomposers, e.g., bacteria and fungi, and moves to detritivores and then carnivores

Afood web(orfoodcycle) is the natural interconnection offood chainsand a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in an ecological community. Another name forfood webis consumer-resource system. ... Some of the organic matter eaten by heterotrophs, such as sugars, provides energy.

All life needs energy. Whether living organisms make energy themselves or get it from the food they hunt, they need it to maintain and repair their bodies. Reproduction, hunting, growth, cell division, and metabolism are all processes that require energy.

The sun is the ultimate source of energy for life on Earth. Without it, nothing would be able to survive. As a result, living things have evolved special ways to harness the energy of the sun and use it for their own well-being. They have also developed special relationships and interactions that allow energy to be transferred. Once the energy has been captured, it gets passed around through the various organisms in a particular area. This transfer of energy is called afood web.

In their simplest form, food webs are made of food chains.Food chainsshow a direct transfer of energy between organisms. A chain might involve a mouse eating some seeds on the forest floor. Then, a snake comes along and eats the mouse. A while later, an owl eats the snake. With each step, some of the energy from the sun, which is trapped within the seeds, is getting passed on.

Food chains do not accurately portray the transfer of energy in an ecosystem. This is because there are often multiple organisms that can be eaten, and many that can do the eating. For example, the aforementioned mouse might eat seeds, but it also might eat some berries, or maybe even some grass. The mouse might be eaten by a snake, or the owl, or even a fox. The snake could be eaten be the owl, but also might get eaten by a fox or a coyote in the forest. Since each organism can eat multiple things and be eaten by multiple things, a food web is a much more realistic schematic of the transfer of energy within an ecosystem.

Producers

Often considered the bottom of the food chain,producersare the organisms that make their own food and serve as the foundation for all food chains and webs. Producers are organisms such as plants, algae, and even some bacteria. They make their own energy by converting sunlight into sugars through a process calledphotosynthesis. They use the sunlight as an energy source to convert carbon dioxide in the air into glucose (a simple sugar that can easily be broken down for energy). The producers then store this sugar and use it for energy later on.

In marine ecosystems, the producers are dominated by algae, plant-like organisms. Algae can be microscopic, like diatoms, or they can be quite large, like the giant kelp found off the coast of California. Either way, the oceans are the prime spot on the planet for producers. Since water covers 72 percent of the planet, it only makes sense that most of the oxygen on the earth comes from the oceans. In fact, the diatoms alone make about 30 percent of it!

Rainforests are another ecosystem that has many producers. Even though rainforests only cover about six percent of the earth's surface, they produce about 40 percent of the oxygen because of all the plants that live there. Since rainforests and the oceans are so plentiful in terms of the number of producers, there are many food webs that exist in each of these ecosystems. The plants and algae provide energy for many creatures living in these areas.

Primary Consumers

Primary consumers(also calledherbivores) are those animals that eat producers. Many times, primary consumers are also considered prey species because they quite often get eaten by other animals. Primary consumers living on land include: deer, antelope, chipmunks, mice, many insects, many birds, horses, and even elephants. Marine primary consumers include: many types of fish, zooplankton (microscopic animals that float in the water), snails, sea urchins, and krill (small shrimp-like creatures that are part of the plankton).

Even though primary consumers are eating plants, they are still getting their energy from the sun. It was the sun that allowed the plants to grow. As the primary consumers are eating the plants, they break them down and release their energy. However, since some of the sun's energy was used by the plant itself, primary consumers do not get 100 percent of the sun's energy. In fact, they only get 10 percent of the energy. This is called the10 percent rule, only 10 percent of the energy available gets passed onto the next level of consumers.

Secondary Consumers

Secondary consumersare animals that eat other animals. These animals eat meat and are often called predators, because they hunt their prey. Terrestrial secondary consumers include: lions, snakes, hawks, hyenas, coyotes, wolves, and spiders. Those that live in the oceans include: killer whales, bluefish, sharks, lobsters, sea stars, sea anemones, and sea turtles.

Like the primary consumers, the secondary consumers are also getting energy from the sun, albeit indirectly. The secondary consumers are eating the primary consumers that ate the producers. As a result, the amount of energy transferred to the secondary consumers is even smaller than that obtained by the primary consumers. Due to the10 percent rule, the amount of energy available to the secondary consumers is only 1 percent of the original sun's energy. This means that secondary consumers have to eat more often or take down larger prey in order to meet all of their energy demands.

A special group of consumers that bridges the primary and secondary consumers is called theomnivoregroup. These are animals that eat both plants and animals, so they fit into both categories. Most of the time, omnivores are meat-eaters, but when conditions are tough and meat is scarce (like during the winter), they can switch to eating plant matter. Bears, pigs, and even humans are considered omnivores.

food web(orfood cycle) is the natural interconnection offood chainsand a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in anecological community. Another name for food web isconsumer-resource system. Ecologists can broadly lump all life forms into one of two categories calledtrophic levels: 1) theautotrophs, and 2) theheterotrophs

food web is the group of many food chains..

food web is an important ecological concept

A food chain is a linear network of links in a food web starting from producer organisms and ending at apex predator species, detritivores, or decomposer species. A food chain also shows how the organisms are related with each other by the food they eat. Each level of a food chain represents a different trophic level.Wikipedia

A food web (or food cycle) is the natural interconnection of food chains and a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in an ecological community. Another name for food web is consumer-resource system. ... Some of the organic matter eaten by heterotrophs, such as sugars, provides energy

food webis similar to afood chainbut larger. ...Foodwebs show how plants and animals are connected in many ways. The arrow points from the organism being eaten to the organism that eats it. Afood web(orfoodcycle) is a natural interconnection offood chains.

Answer:

A food web is made up of several food chains and a food pyramid includesenergy flowup the food chain.

Explanation:

Food chain: A food chain describes the feeding relationships of different organisms in a linear fashion. This is the simplest way of showing feeding relationships.

Food web: A food web shows multiple food chains, multiple relationships and connections. This a more complicated but more realistic way of showing feeding relationships, as most organisms consume more than one species and are consumed by more than one species.

Food pyramid: More commonly known as anenergy pyramid, a food pyramid takes the food chain but uses it to show how energy moves through a community.

Because each organism uses some of the energy it received from the previous level for growth and other processes, the energy available to the next level is less (because some of that energy has been used). This is why we have more primary producers than carnivores.

what is food web

Discussion

No Comment Found

Related InterviewSolutions

Reply to Comment