FOOD
CHAIN
What is Food Chain?
Flow of energy in an ecosystem is one way
process. The sequence of organism
through which the energy flows, is known
as food chain.
Important facts
•In a food chain each organism obtains energy
from the one at the level below.
•Plants are called producers because they
create their own food through photosynthesis
•Animals are consumers because they cannot
create their own food, they must eat plants or
other animals to get the energy that they need.
Tropic levels in a food chain
Producers
Consumers
(i) Primary consumers
(ii) Secondary consumers
(iii) Tertiary consumers
(iv) Quaternary consumers
Decomposers
Types of Food Chain
(i) Grazing Food Chain
•The consumers utilizing plants as their food , constitute
grazing food chain.
• This food chain begins from green plants and the
primary consumer is herbivore.
• Most of the ecosystem in nature follows this type of
food chain.
Ex: grass => grasshopper => birds => falcon
Grazing Food
Chain
(ii) Detritus food chain
•This type of food chain starts from dead organic matter of
decaying animals and plant bodies to the micro-organisms
and then to detritus feeding organism and to other
predators.
•The food chain depends mainly on the influx of organic
matter produced in another system.
•The organism of the food chain includes algae, bacteria,
fungi, protozoa, insects, nematodes etc.
Detritus Food
Chain
Significance of Food Chain
•The knowledge of food chain helps in understanding
the feeding relationship as well as the interaction
between organism and ecosystem.
•It also help in understanding the mechanism of energy
flow and circulation of matter in ecosystem.
•It also helps to understand the movement of toxic
substance and the problem associated with biological
magnification in the ecosystem.
What is food web?
Food web can be defined as, "a network of food chains
which are interconnected at various tropic levels, so as
to form a number of feeding connections amongst
different organisms of a biotic community".
It is also known as consumer-resource system.
Important facts
•A node represents an individual species, or a group of related
species or different stages of a single species.
• A link connects two nodes. Arrows represent links, and
always go from prey to predator.
• The lowest tropic level are called basal species.
species
• The highest tropic level are called top predators.
predators
•Movement of nutrients is cyclic but of energy is
unidirectional and non-cyclic.
Types of food web representation
Different food webs
• Soil food web
• Aquatic food web
• Food web in forest
• Food web of grassland
• Food web in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem
Aquatic food web
Food web in
forest
Grassland Food
Food web of grassland
Web
Food web in terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystem
Significance of Food Web
•Food webs distinguish levels of producers and consumers by
identifying and defining the importance of animal relationships
and food sources, beginning with primary producers such as
plants, insects and herbivores.
•Food webs are important tools in understanding that plants are
the foundation of all ecosystems and food chains, sustaining
life
by providing nourishment and oxygen needed for survival and
reproduction.
•The food web provide stability to the ecosystem.
What are Ecological Pyramids?
•Ecological pyramids are
graphical representations
of the tropic structure
ecosystem.
•Tropic levels are the
feeding
positions in a food chain
such as primary producers,
herbivores, primary
carnivore etc.
Types of Ecological Pyramid
Three types of ecological pyramids can usually be
distinguished namely:
• Pyramid of numbers
• Pyramid of biomass

• Pyramid of productivity
Pyramid of Numbers
•It is the graphic representation of number of
individuals per unit area of various tropic levels.
•Large number of producers tend to form the
base.
•Lower numbers of top carnivores occupy the tip
Pyramid
of
Numbers
Evaluating pyramid of numbers
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Simple method of
giving an overview

Number of specific
species may be too great
to measure accurately

Good for comparing
changes to the ecosystem
at different times

Does not take into
account “juveniles” or
immature forms
All organisms are included
regardless of size
Pyramid of biomass
•It is the graphical representation of biomass present
per unit area at different tropic levels, with
producers at the base and carnivores at the top.
•Biomass is calculated as
mass of each individual X no. of individual at tropic levels
Evaluating pyramid of biomass
ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

Overcomes the problems Only uses samples for
population so difficult to
of pyramids of number
measure biomass exactly
Time of year influences
result
Organisms of same size
do not necessarily have
the same energy content
Pyramid of productivity
•Pyramid of productivity is a graphical
representation of the flow of energy through
each tropic level of a food chain over a fixed
time period.
•The input of solar energy may be indicated by
adding an extra to the base.
Pyramid of
productivity
Evaluating pyramid of productivity
ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

No inverted pyramids are It is difficult and cumbersome
to collect energy data
obtained
Shows actual energy
transfer
Can be compared different
ecosystems based on
relative energy transfer

Problem occurs in assigning
a species to a specific tropic
level
Disturbances in ecosystem
• Bioaccumulation - When plants / animals take up a chemical from the
environment and do not excrete it,the chemical builds up in the organism over
time to a potentially lethal level.

• Biomagnification - Refers to the sequence of processes that results
in higher concentrations of the chemical in organisms at higher levels in the
food chain. The concentration of the chemical may not affect lower levels of
the food chain but the top levels take in so much it can cause disease or death.

• Extinction of species – Due to decrease in population of various species the
balance of various tropic levels is disturbed as a result some levels have more
accumulation of species while others have very less population.
by:
de
a
ar
M
isw
ha t
e B ka
he
aks i Hur rwar
6. S ivan
ng a
Sh a Do
8.
eh
. Sn
9
Food chain,food web and ecological pyramids

Food chain,food web and ecological pyramids

  • 2.
  • 3.
    What is FoodChain? Flow of energy in an ecosystem is one way process. The sequence of organism through which the energy flows, is known as food chain.
  • 4.
    Important facts •In afood chain each organism obtains energy from the one at the level below. •Plants are called producers because they create their own food through photosynthesis •Animals are consumers because they cannot create their own food, they must eat plants or other animals to get the energy that they need.
  • 5.
    Tropic levels ina food chain Producers Consumers (i) Primary consumers (ii) Secondary consumers (iii) Tertiary consumers (iv) Quaternary consumers Decomposers
  • 6.
    Types of FoodChain (i) Grazing Food Chain •The consumers utilizing plants as their food , constitute grazing food chain. • This food chain begins from green plants and the primary consumer is herbivore. • Most of the ecosystem in nature follows this type of food chain. Ex: grass => grasshopper => birds => falcon
  • 7.
  • 8.
    (ii) Detritus foodchain •This type of food chain starts from dead organic matter of decaying animals and plant bodies to the micro-organisms and then to detritus feeding organism and to other predators. •The food chain depends mainly on the influx of organic matter produced in another system. •The organism of the food chain includes algae, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, insects, nematodes etc.
  • 9.
  • 10.
    Significance of FoodChain •The knowledge of food chain helps in understanding the feeding relationship as well as the interaction between organism and ecosystem. •It also help in understanding the mechanism of energy flow and circulation of matter in ecosystem. •It also helps to understand the movement of toxic substance and the problem associated with biological magnification in the ecosystem.
  • 12.
    What is foodweb? Food web can be defined as, "a network of food chains which are interconnected at various tropic levels, so as to form a number of feeding connections amongst different organisms of a biotic community". It is also known as consumer-resource system.
  • 13.
    Important facts •A noderepresents an individual species, or a group of related species or different stages of a single species. • A link connects two nodes. Arrows represent links, and always go from prey to predator. • The lowest tropic level are called basal species. species • The highest tropic level are called top predators. predators •Movement of nutrients is cyclic but of energy is unidirectional and non-cyclic.
  • 14.
    Types of foodweb representation
  • 15.
    Different food webs •Soil food web • Aquatic food web • Food web in forest • Food web of grassland • Food web in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem
  • 17.
  • 18.
  • 19.
    Grassland Food Food webof grassland Web
  • 20.
    Food web interrestrial and aquatic ecosystem
  • 21.
    Significance of FoodWeb •Food webs distinguish levels of producers and consumers by identifying and defining the importance of animal relationships and food sources, beginning with primary producers such as plants, insects and herbivores. •Food webs are important tools in understanding that plants are the foundation of all ecosystems and food chains, sustaining life by providing nourishment and oxygen needed for survival and reproduction. •The food web provide stability to the ecosystem.
  • 23.
    What are EcologicalPyramids? •Ecological pyramids are graphical representations of the tropic structure ecosystem. •Tropic levels are the feeding positions in a food chain such as primary producers, herbivores, primary carnivore etc.
  • 24.
    Types of EcologicalPyramid Three types of ecological pyramids can usually be distinguished namely: • Pyramid of numbers • Pyramid of biomass • Pyramid of productivity
  • 25.
    Pyramid of Numbers •Itis the graphic representation of number of individuals per unit area of various tropic levels. •Large number of producers tend to form the base. •Lower numbers of top carnivores occupy the tip
  • 26.
  • 28.
    Evaluating pyramid ofnumbers ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES Simple method of giving an overview Number of specific species may be too great to measure accurately Good for comparing changes to the ecosystem at different times Does not take into account “juveniles” or immature forms All organisms are included regardless of size
  • 29.
    Pyramid of biomass •Itis the graphical representation of biomass present per unit area at different tropic levels, with producers at the base and carnivores at the top. •Biomass is calculated as mass of each individual X no. of individual at tropic levels
  • 31.
    Evaluating pyramid ofbiomass ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES Overcomes the problems Only uses samples for population so difficult to of pyramids of number measure biomass exactly Time of year influences result Organisms of same size do not necessarily have the same energy content
  • 32.
    Pyramid of productivity •Pyramidof productivity is a graphical representation of the flow of energy through each tropic level of a food chain over a fixed time period. •The input of solar energy may be indicated by adding an extra to the base.
  • 33.
  • 34.
    Evaluating pyramid ofproductivity ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES No inverted pyramids are It is difficult and cumbersome to collect energy data obtained Shows actual energy transfer Can be compared different ecosystems based on relative energy transfer Problem occurs in assigning a species to a specific tropic level
  • 35.
    Disturbances in ecosystem •Bioaccumulation - When plants / animals take up a chemical from the environment and do not excrete it,the chemical builds up in the organism over time to a potentially lethal level. • Biomagnification - Refers to the sequence of processes that results in higher concentrations of the chemical in organisms at higher levels in the food chain. The concentration of the chemical may not affect lower levels of the food chain but the top levels take in so much it can cause disease or death. • Extinction of species – Due to decrease in population of various species the balance of various tropic levels is disturbed as a result some levels have more accumulation of species while others have very less population.
  • 36.
    by: de a ar M isw ha t e Bka he aks i Hur rwar 6. S ivan ng a Sh a Do 8. eh . Sn 9