THE BIOSPHERE:
FOOD CHAINS AND THE
FLOW OF ENERGY
What is a food chain?
* an illustration of the flow
energy from the producers
(Producers that bind
radiant energy by means of
photosynthesis)
* through a series of
organisms that feed on
one another,
* and in their turn serve as
food for others
* e.g. grass - locust - crow.
FOOD WEBS = COMPLEX FOOD CHAINS
What Is a Food Web?
• A food web can be described as a
"who eats whom" diagram that
shows the complex feeding
relationships in an ecosystem.
• The interconnectedness of how
organisms are involved in energy
transfer within an ecosystem
• The increase in toxic substances,
(pollutants), can have a profound
impact on species within an
ecosystem.
• Photosynthesis and decomposition are closely
related to food chains and the flow of energy.
• The energy used to form tissues in one organism
will be the energy used by the next level for
respiration.
• Carbon is an element that is recycled through the
ecosystem with the flow of energy.
Process of
Photosynthesis
Levels in a
food chain