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FOOD CHAINS AND WEBS!. What is a Food Chain?. A food chain is the path by which energy passes from one living thing to another. Producers ( Autotrophs ). Prodcers make their own food using PHOTOSYNTHESIS. Consumers ( Heterotrophs ).
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What is a Food Chain? • A food chain is the path by which energy passes from one living thing to another.
Producers (Autotrophs) • Prodcers make their own food using PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Consumers (Heterotrophs) • Consumers hunt, gather, and store food because they cannot make their own.
Four Types of Consumers • Herbivores (plant eaters) • Rabbits, squirrels, some birds, most insects • Carnivores (Meat eaters) • Wolves, predatory cats, hawks, eagles • Omnivores (both plants and meat) • Humans, bears • Scavengers (eat dead things) • Vultures
Decomposers • Microorganisms that are able to break down large molecules into smaller parts • Decomposers return the nutrients that are in a living thing to the soil • Examples
What is a Food Web? • A more realistic way of looking at the relationship of plants and animals in an environment • Several food chains linked together
http://www.mrpdarling.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/BorealForestFoodWebPic.jpghttp://www.mrpdarling.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/BorealForestFoodWebPic.jpg
Food Webs • How many food chains can you make from this food web?
1. Which organisms are the producers? _________________ _________________ 2. Identify the consumers...C – CarnivoreO – OmnivoreH – HerbivoreP - Planktivore Food Web Graphic - http://staff.harrisonburg.k12.va.us/~gharper/bay/weboflifepage/foodweb.jpg
#3 What would happen if the mussels were to die out due to a disease? How would the zooplankton be affected if the fish population were to increase? How would the whelk population be affected if crabs were removed?