Question

Define food chain.How many types of food chain are there?Give the difference between food chain and food web.Draw a linear diagram of food chain.

Answer 1

Hint:The transfer of energy from one living organism to another is shown by the food chain.It is our responsibility to know the balance of the ecosystem and working of the food chain and should make the necessary adjustments to keep the flow of energy in the correct manner.

Complete answer:
Food chain:
>In ecology,the food chain is a sequence that transfers energy in the form of food from one organism to another.Food chain starts from sun then comes the producers,consumers and decomposers.
>The plants produce energy by the process of photosynthesis which is consumed by the herbivores .The herbivores are consumed by the carnivores where the flow of energy happens from one to another.The food chain has primary producers,primary consumers,secondary consumers and decomposers.Herbivores are the Primary consumers and carnivores are the secondary consumers.
>The plants are the main source of energy producers.They helps us in many ways like clothes,food,furniture and other household things.They also provide habitat for animals.

The food chain is classified into two types
1.Grazing food chain
2.Detritus food chain
In the grazing food chain the energy flows from plants to herbivores and then to carnivores.This food chain depends directly on the influx of solar radiation.Our ecosystem mostly follows this food chain.
Phytoplanktons ~>Zooplanktons~>fish sequence
In the detritus food chain the flow starts from dead organic matter to microorganism and then to organism feeding on detritivores and their predators.This food chain is less dependent on solar energy.

	FOOD CHAIN	FOOD WEB
1.Meaning	The energy flow is from lower trophic level to higher trophic level in a single straight path.	The energy flow is through interconnected numerous food chain
2.Number of food chains	Single straight chain	Many interconnected chains
3.Energy flow	The higher trophic level organism feeds on any one of the lower trophic level	The higher trophic level organism feeds on more than one member of lower trophic level.
4.Types	They are of two types	No types
5.Process	Simple and easy	Complicated as the network has more interconnected chains.

Note:The terms food chain and food web both refer to groups of organisms that are dependent on each other for food. ... The feeding relationships of organisms in the real world is almost always more complex than suggested by a food chain. For that reason, the term food web is more accurate than is food chain.