Question

A plant is being eaten by a herbivorous animal which, in turn, is eaten by a carnivorous animal. This makes a
A. Food chain
B. Food web
C. Omnivorous
D. Interdependent

Answer 1

Hint:A herbivorous animal is dependent on vegetation such as grasses or fruits and vegetables for food and a carnivorous animal is dependent on the meat of herbivores for food. The herbivores are primary consumers and the carnivores are secondary consumers. Omnivores can survive on both plants and animals. Humans are omnivores.

Complete answer:
- Food chain- It is the linear sequence of organisms that are dependent on each other for food. The plants are autotrophic i.e. they make their own food for survival and consist of the first trophic level. They are primary producers of food. The herbivores are dependent on plants for food and consist of the second trophic level. The carnivores are dependent on herbivores and consist of the third trophic level. These trophic levels make up the food chain. Types of food chains include the detritus food chain and the grazing food chain.
- Food web- It is the connection of various food chains. The Food Web is not linear but a complex network of organisms.
- Omnivorous- Omnivores are organisms that can feed on both plants and animals. They can be members of both the secondary and tertiary trophic levels depending upon their feeding habits.
- Interdependent- The trophic levels of food chains and food webs are interdependent for energy and their survival. Some of the energy produced by plants is consumed by the herbivores and similarly, there is a transfer of energy from one trophic level to another. This interdependency is crucial for the survival of all organisms.
- Therefore the correct answer is (A) Food chain. According to the question a plant is being eaten by a herbivore which in turn is eaten by a carnivore. This makes it a grazing food chain.

Note:
- Ten percent law of energy: This law was given by Raymond Lindeman. According to this law, as the green plants capture solar energy and use it to make food. About 10% of the energy is then passed on to the herbivores that consume the plants. This is because a lot of energy is consumed by the metabolic processes of the green plants and the rest is lost to the surroundings as heat. Subsequently, other trophic levels also receive 10 % of the energy of the previous trophic level.