FOOD CHAINS AND WEBS

PART - 2

Our Environment

(FOREST ) (GRASSLAND) (POND)

Food Chain In Nature:- (a) Forest(b)Grasslands (c) Pond

The Flow Of Energy Between Various Components Of The Environment Has

Been Extensively Studied And Discovered Some Facts

#1

Very little energy Is available for the next

level of consumers, food chains generally

consist of only three or four steps. The loss of

energy at each step is so great that very little

usable energy remains after four tropic levels.

#2

There are generally a grater number of

individuals at the lower tropic levels of an eco-

system, the greatest number is of the

producers

#3

The length and complexity of food chains vary greatly.

Each organisms generally eaten by two or more other

kinds of organisms which in turn are eaten by several

other organisms. So instead of a straight line food

chain, the relationship can be shown as a series of

branching lines called a food web

FOOD WEB CONSISTING OF MANY FOOD CHAINS

DIAGRAM SHOWING THE ENERGY FLOW IN AN ECOSYSTEM

Review

An interesting aspect of the food chain is how

unknowingly harmful chemicals enter our bodies

through the food chain. One of the reasons is the use

of several pesticides and other chemicals that protect

the crops for from pests. These chemicals are either

washed of into the soil or to the water bodies.

From the soil these are absorbed by plants when they take in water, minerals, and from the water bodies these were taken up by aquatic plants or animals, this is one way how they enter the food chain. As chemicals are not degradable , these get accumulated progressively at each tropic level. As human beings occupy the top level mostly, this phenomenon is commonly known as “BIOLOGICAL MAGNIFICATION”.

END By: Anupam, Ron, Reuben and

Naveen