1.11 - Food Chains and Food Webs

Question 1

What does a foodweb show

Answer 1

• Shows how matter & energy flow through an ecosystem, from organism to organism
• When one organism preys on (eats) another, the matter (C/N/H2O/P) and energy (glucose, muscle tissue, etc.) are passed on to the predator

Question 2

Food web vs food chain

Answer 2

Food Chains
- Food chains just show one, linear path of energy & matter

Food Webs
- have at least 2 different, interconnected food chains
- Webs show that organisms can exist at different trophic levels

Question 3

How do food webs show interactions

Answer 3

Food webs show how increase or decreases in pop. size of a given species impact the rest of the food web

Question 4

What is tropic cascade

Answer 4

removal or addition of a top predator has a ripple effect down through lower troph. levels