Food Webs and Food Chains

food web

A community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains

food chain

A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

producer

An organism that can make its own food (plants); starts off a food chain

secondary consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers; carnivore or omnivore

primary consumer

An organism that eats producers; herbivore

tertiary consumer

An organism that eats secondary consumers; carnivore; sometimes at the top of a food chain or web

What happens if an organism dies out or is removed from a food web?

When one of the links (species) in a food chain is no longer present (for example a species goes extinct or a feral animal takes over), the food chain breaks. Sometimes, this can cause other animals in the food chain to disappear as well and the whole ecosystem can become imbalanced or even collapse.

carnivore

organism that obtains energy by eating animals

omnivore

organism that obtains energy by eating both plants and animals

herbivore

organism that obtains energy by eating only plants

What do the arrows in a food chain or food web represent?

the transfer of energy; the tips of the arrows should always be pointing toward the organism that is doing the eating