Simone Lawson
A food chain illustrates the feeding relationship between various organisms in a specific environment. Each step or level of the food chain forms a trophic level. The autotrophs or producers are at the first trophic level, followed by the herbivores or primary consumers at the second, small carnivores or secondary consumers at the third, and larger carnivores or tertiary consumers at the fourth trophic level. One example of a food chain is grass, which is eaten by goats, which are then eaten by humans.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A food chain depicts the feeding relationship between various organisms in a specific environment |
| Components | Producers, consumers, and decomposers |
| Direction | Linear, starting from the producer organism and ending at the apex predator |
| Energy Transfer | Energy is transferred from producers to top consumers, and from consumers to decomposers |
| Trophic Levels | Each step or level of the food chain represents a trophic level |
| Examples | Grass, Deer, Lion; Grass, Cow, Elephant; Cat, Seed-eating bird, Plants, Dog; Water beetles, tadpoles, fish, and weeds; Wheat plants and snakes/eagles/mice/peacocks; Deer |
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What You'll Learn
Grass, Goat and Human
Grass is a producer, as it produces its own food through photosynthesis. Goats then eat the grass, making them primary consumers. Humans are secondary consumers, as they can eat goats. Humans are apex consumers or predators, as they are at the top of this food chain.
A food chain depicts the feeding relationship between various organisms in a specific environment. It shows how organisms are related to each other based on what they eat. Food chains are vital for the survival of species. If one element is eliminated from the food chain, it can result in the extinction of other species that depend on it for their survival.
Other examples of food chains include:
- Grass, Deer, and Lion
- Grass, Goat, and Cow
- Grass, Fish, and Goat
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Trophic levels
The trophic level of an organism is determined by its position in the food chain, with each step or level representing a trophic level. The energy transfer from producers to consumers and decomposers constitutes a food chain. The efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels is referred to as ecological efficiency, with only about 10% of energy typically available to the next level. Due to this energy limitation, food chains rarely extend beyond four or five trophic levels.
The trophic level of a species may vary depending on its diet, and in real-world ecosystems, multiple food chains can exist for a single organism. For example, humans have an average trophic level of 2.21, similar to pigs or anchovies, but a traditional Inuit diet consisting primarily of seals would result in a trophic level of nearly 5.
Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, can be considered a separate trophic level as they break down dead organisms and waste into nutrients for producers. However, they are often excluded from food webs.
The concept of trophic levels was developed by Raymond Lindeman in 1942, based on the earlier terminology of August Thienemann, which categorised organisms as "producers", "consumers", and "reducers" (later modified to "decomposers").
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Primary producers
Green plants are the most common example of primary producers. They use photosynthesis to convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into energy and release oxygen as a byproduct. This process forms the basis of most life on Earth, as plants are the primary source of energy for almost all life forms.
Other examples of primary producers include grass, wheat, and mangoes. These plants are consumed by herbivores, which are the primary consumers in a food chain. For example, a grasshopper is a primary consumer that feeds on grass.
Algae, such as edible seaweeds like nori and sea lettuce, are also primary producers. They are consumed by humans, who are secondary consumers in the food chain.
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Primary consumers
A food chain describes the feeding relationship between various organisms in a specific environment. Each step or level of the food chain forms a trophic level, with the food chain starting from the primary producer and ending with the apex predator. Primary producers are generally plants, which make their own food by utilising sunlight.
In a simple food chain consisting of a flowering plant, a grasshopper, a beetle, a frog, and a snake, the grasshopper is the primary consumer as it eats the plant. Caterpillars, insects, grasshoppers, termites, and hummingbirds are all considered primary consumers because they only eat plants or algae. Certain primary consumers, like koalas, are specialists, meaning they only eat one type of plant, such as eucalyptus leaves. In contrast, primary consumers that feed on various plants are called generalists.
Omnivores, which can be both primary and secondary consumers, present an interesting case. For example, in the food chain of grass, fish, and goat, the grass is the primary producer, the fish is a consumer (omnivore), and the goat is the primary consumer. This sequence is not considered a correct depiction of a food chain, as it lacks a top predator.
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Secondary consumers
A food chain is a linear network of links in a food web that starts from a producer organism and ends with an apex predator. Each step or level of the food chain forms a trophic level, with energy flowing from one trophic level to another. The base of a food chain is composed of organisms that harness their energy from the sun, known as primary producers. These include organisms such as plants, which convert solar energy into chemical energy.
Primary consumers are the link between the producers and the higher levels of the ecosystem. They are generally herbivores, which eat only plant material. The remaining levels survive by predating on the levels below.
Examples of secondary consumers include:
- Large fish like sharks, piranhas, and barracudas that feed on smaller fish and other marine organisms.
- Marine mammals like dolphins, seals, walruses, and sea lions.
- Reptiles like snakes and certain lizard species that consume smaller animals.
- Small songbirds that eat a mix of berries and insects.
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Frequently asked questions
A food chain depicts the feeding relationship between various organisms in a specific environment. Each step or level of the food chain forms a trophic level. The first trophic level consists of autotrophs or producers, the second of herbivores or primary consumers, the third of small carnivores or secondary consumers, and the fourth of larger carnivores or tertiary consumers.
Grass, Goat, and Human. Grass is the primary producer, the goat is the primary consumer (herbivore), and the human is an apex consumer or predator (omnivore).
Grass, Deer, and Lion. Grass is the primary producer, the deer is the primary consumer (herbivore), and the lion is the secondary consumer (carnivore).
