4.2 Harm to Food Chains and Food Webs - Handout
Q1: What is a food chain? Give an example.
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Q2: What is a food web? How is it different from a food chain?
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Q3: How are energy and nutrients transferred in a food chain?
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Q4: What are some human activities that can harm food chains and food webs?
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Q5: What are some natural factors that can affect food chains and food webs?
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Q6: Why is it important to maintain a balance in food chains and food webs?
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Q7: How can you help protect food chains and food webs in your daily life?
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Q8: Can you give an example of a species that plays a critical role in a food chain or food web?
What would happen if that species was removed?
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Q9: What are some ways we can reduce harm to food chains and food webs?
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Q10: Can you think of a food chain or food web that exists in your local ecosystem? Describe it.
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Assessment of Chapter 4
Answer of Handout
Q1 What is a food chain? Give an example.
A: A food chain shows the transfer of energy and nutrients from one organism to another in an
ecosystem. For example, a simple food chain in a forest ecosystem could be: grass → rabbit →
fox.
Q2 What is a food web? How is it different from a food chain?
A: A food web shows the interconnectedness of different food chains in an ecosystem. It
consists of many different organisms and shows how they are all connected by their feeding
relationships. A food web is more complex than a food chain because it shows how different
organisms can be both predators and prey to different species.
Q3 How are energy and nutrients transferred in a food chain?
A: Energy and nutrients are transferred from one organism to another in a food chain through
the process of eating and being eaten. Producers, such as plants, absorb energy from the sun
and use it to make their own food through photosynthesis. Primary consumers, such as
herbivores, eat the producers, and then secondary consumers, such as carnivores, eat the
herbivores.
Q4 What are some human activities that can harm food chains and food webs?
A: Human activities that can harm food chains and food webs include pollution, deforestation,
overfishing, and introducing non-native species to an ecosystem.
Q5 What are some natural factors that can affect food chains and food webs?
A: Natural factors that can affect food chains and food webs include weather events like
droughts and floods, natural disasters like wildfires, and disease outbreaks in populations.
Q6 Why is it important to maintain a balance in food chains and food webs?
A: Maintaining a balance in food chains and food webs is important because all organisms in an
ecosystem are interconnected. If one species is removed, it can have a domino effect on the
rest of the ecosystem. An imbalance in a food chain or food web can lead to the overpopulation
or extinction of certain species, which can have a negative impact on the ecosystem as a whole.
Q7 How can you help protect food chains and food webs in your daily life?
A: You can help protect food chains and food webs in your daily life by reducing your use of
single-use plastics, conserving energy, supporting sustainable agriculture practices, and
properly disposing of waste.
Q8 Can you give an example of a species that plays a critical role in a food chain or food web?
What would happen if that species was removed?
A: An example of a species that plays a critical role in a food chain or food web is the
honeybee. Honeybees are important pollinators for many plants that we rely on for food, such
as almonds, apples, and blueberries. If honeybees were removed from an ecosystem, it could
have a significant impact on the production of these crops.
Q9 What are some ways we can reduce harm to food chains and food webs?
A: Some ways we can reduce harm to food chains and food webs include reducing our use of
pesticides, reducing our carbon footprint, supporting sustainable fishing practices, and
protecting natural habitats.
Q10 Can you think of a food chain or food web that exists in your local ecosystem? Describe it.
A: This answer will vary depending on the student's location and ecosystem. Students may
describe a food chain or food web they have learned about in class, or they may be encouraged
to research and observe the ecosystem around them to identify different species and their
feeding relationships.
Answer for Assessment