Food ChainsFood Chainsandand

Food WebsFood Webs

Science SOL 3.5

Created by Mrs. MillerGloucester, Virginia

What is a Food Chain?What is a Food Chain?

A food chain is the path by which energy passes from one living thing to another.

Each organism gets energy from the one at the level below

The different “levels” in a food chain are called Trophic Levels

Energy gets passed from the level below to the level above.

The most energy is found in the bottom levels, with the producers.

Trophic Levels

Level 4: Tertiary Consumer

Level 3: Secondary Consumer

Level 2: Primary Consumer

Level 1: Producers

WhatWhat’’s in a Food s in a Food Chain?Chain?

Producers

Consumers

Decomposers

ProducersProducers

Producers make their own food

Usually plants or algae

Use photosynthesis for energy

Producers are on the bottom of the food chain

ConsumersConsumers

Consumers hunt, gather, and store food because they cannot make their own.

Three Types of Three Types of ConsumersConsumers

Herbivores

Carnivores

Omnivores

HerbivoresHerbivores

Animals who eat plants such as:–grasshoppers–rabbits–squirrels–deer–pandas

CarnivoresCarnivores

Animals who only eat other animals such as:–tigers– lions–hawks–wolves–cougars

OmnivoresOmnivores

Animals who eat both plants and animals such as:–humans–bears

Other ways to look at Other ways to look at consumers…consumers…

1. Primary Consumers: Herbivores (eat plants)

Secondary Consumers: Carnivores that eat herbivores

Tertiary Consumers: Carnivores that eat other carnivores

DecomposersDecomposers

Microorganisms that are able to break down large molecules into smaller parts

Decomposers return the nutrients that are in a living thing to the soil

Types of Food ChainsTypes of Food Chains

Aquatic- Water-related food chains with sea plants and animals

Terrestrial- Land-related food chains with land plants and animals

Predator & PreyPredator & Prey

Predator- An animal that captures and eats other animals

Prey- The animal that is captured and eaten

What is a Food Web?What is a Food Web?A more realistic way of

looking at the relationship of plants and animals in an environment

Several food chains linked together

A predator from one food chain may be linked to the prey of another food chain

Food WebsFood WebsHow many food chains can you How many food chains can you make from this food web?make from this food web?

Go to the following Go to the following link:link:

Food Chain GameASSIGNMENT:

On this webpage, you will be putting food chains in the correct order.

For every food chain, write down on a separate piece of paper the answers to the following questions:– 1. How many trophic levels are in this food

chain?– 2. Which organism is the producer/primary

consumer/secondary consumer?