Food Webs in Nature

1. Food Webs in Nature

2. The whole of nature is a realization of the verb, “to eat.” • Every living thing needs an energy source to live. • There are three basic ways that organisms get their energy (their food).

3. Producers • Plants and trees are producers because they “produce” their energy from the sun. • In other words, they “eat” sunlight, and turn this into food for animals.

4. Consumers • Animals and organisms that eat plants, or other animals are called consumers, because they “consume” their food from other sources. • Vegetarians, omnivores and carnivores are all consumers.

5. Decomposers • Decomposers get their energy from eating “dead” or decaying stuff. • They convert dead stuff back into living soil so that it can be returned to the food web. • Worms, bacteria and fungi are decomposers

6. Every eco-system has a unique food web, including a pond