Food Webs
By N. Caligan and S. Johnson
"Les Sciences Naturelles - Mme Griffiths." Les Sciences Naturelles - Mme Griffiths. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 June 2015.
On the left you have a simple food chain and on the right is a food web
What is a Food Web?
"Food Webs : Slide19." Food Webs : Slide19. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2015.
This is a food web of a Forrest. Possibly with a creek or a river, that's why the alligator lizard is shown above.
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Food Webs are the consumption structure of an ecosystem. This is a way of showing how the energy and predation flows through one area. It shows many prey and predators an organism has, rather then just one food chain. So for example, a mouse is eaten by the cat and by the falcon, in a food chain it would only show the cat as its predator. Most Food webs include 90% of all organisms in an area. Like, a artic food web would have; polar bears, artic fox's, seals, penguins and sealions along with fish and other ocean creatures that might be eaten by the terrestrial creatures. Food Webs are built in an ecosystem based on the energy flow. This helps an ecosystem have a basic structure and an order. The arrows of the web indicate who is being consumed and who is the consumer. This shows the predator and prey in the ecosystem. Most prey that are low on the food web have multiple predators. Like, look at the web to the left. The crickets are eaten by Alligator lizards and the Robin. To start a food web, the autotrophs are eaten because they don't eat anything else. They produce their food from the sun. Everything that eats something is a heterotroph. They cannot produce their food. They must consume. AKA "consumers". |
Why would we choose to do Food Webs?
We like food webs because they are very important to people researching ecosystem, without food webs it wouldn't be as easy to find all predators and prey for one species. The food webs are complex version of a food chain. Food Webs show you the different predators one organism has. You don't get that with a food chain! In the example to the right. The top predators are shown to eat many of the lower animals. We think its interesting because even the top predators and "eaten" by decomposers and scavengers after they're dead. The arctic food web is a perfect example. They made sure to show each separate food chain as one. Cool right?
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"Interactions and Interdependence within the Environment." Natural Sciences Grade 8. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2015.
This is a great example of an arctic Food Web. It shows the Krill's two predators, the blue whale and fish.
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Fun Links!
http://www.bing.com/search?q=Forest+Food+Web+Ecosystems&FORM=QSRE4
http://www.ftexploring.com/links/foodchains.html Citations"Food Chains & Food Webs." Food Chains and Food Webs. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2015.
"REAL TREES 4 Kids! - Let's Eat!" REAL TREES 4 Kids! - Let's Eat! N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2015. |
"KidsBiology.com - Biology For Kids." KidsBiology.com - Biology For Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2015. "Food+webs - Google Search." Food+webs - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2015. |