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The Food Chain

A food chain models the movement of energy in an ecosystem. All living things depend on each other to live. If one part of the food chain gets out of balance, then the other parts must adjust to compensate.

What is a Food Chain?

The concept of a food chain was first developed by a scientist named Charles Elton in 1927.

  1. He said that plants got their energy from _____.
  2. Plant-eating animals got their energy from _____.
  3. Meat-eating animals got their energy from _____.
  4. Why did he call it a chain?

 

What is an ecosystem?

An ecosystem is a living community that depends on each member and its surrounding environment.

  1. What is a food chain?

 

Food Chains

Producers manufacture food from inorganic (not living) raw materials.

  1. What is a producer?
  2. Where does a producer get its energy?
  3. What is another name for a producer?
  4. What do consumers eat?
  5. What are primary consumers sometimes called?
  6. What do you think decomposers do?

 

Photosynthesis

Producers convert the sun's energy into energy that is useful to plants and animals.

  1. What is the formula for photosynthesis?
  2. For every 100,000 units of energy produced by the sun, how much is captured through photosynthesis?
  3. Of the 100,000 energy units how many make it to the second consumer (carnivore) level?

 

Trophic Levels

Each level of consumption in a food chain is called a trophic level.

 

The Pyramid of Energy

The total amount of energy stored at each trophic level producers what is called a pyramid of energy or an energy pyramid. Each level is much less than the previous one because most of the energy is lost as heat.

  1. In this pyramid how many producers does it require to support 6 third-level consumers?

 

Food Webs

In the real world there are no simple food chains because rabbits eat many things besides grass and foxes eat other things besides rabbits. If you combine all the food chains in an ecosystem then you have a food web.

 

Create a Food Chain

Follow the instructions.

 

Solve the link in the Food Chain Activity

All of the parts within a food chain depend on each other. When one is destroyed or polluted it will cause a reaction to occur that affects the others.

  1. What is the answer to question 1?
  2. What is the answer to question 2?

 

Identify the Food Chains

Follow the instructions and answer the questions.

 

Food chains are important to the survival of all organisms on Earth. If we change one part we affect many parts. Think about how you will be changed if you change a food chain.

Author: DUANE DYER - Email duane.dyer@jordan.k12.ut.us