Food Web in a Deciduous Forest
Name ________________Bio A
Food chains and food webs show the flow of energy through an ecosystem.
Food chains are linear depictions of energy flow, while food webs show the multiple
interactions among the different types of organisms.
Food webs are generally a more realistic portrayal of the energy flow in the system. After all,
most organisms eat more than one type of food and can be eaten by more than one type of
predator.
A food chain is a “picture version” of the energy pyramid.
Look at the food chain below and identify the following:
Top predator, producer, primary consumer (herbivore), secondary consumer(carnivore or
herbivore)
Food chain
Food Web
____________
____________
____________
____________
ACTION BOX: Look at the food web. Each of the organisms is either a producer,
herbivore (primary consumer), secondary consumer (herbivore or carnivore), or top
predator (has no enemies and is a predator).
Producers __________________________________________
Primary consumers (herbivores only)
___________________________________________________________________________
Secondary consumers (omnivores or carnivores that have predators in the food web)
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Top predators _________________________________________________________
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Food Web in a Deciduous Forest
Name ________________Bio A
CREATE A FOOD WEB
Now that you have a good understanding of food chains and food webs, lets see if you can
create your own food web using the information below. This is a typical food web found in a
temperate forest (where you live). NOTE THERE ARE NO HUMANS!!!!!
ACTION BOX Use the organism boxes on the next page and follow the directions below:
First determine the trophic level (producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, top
predator) for each organism. Color the boxes of the producers green, primary consumers
orange, secondary consumers blue and top predators purple.
Now cut out the squares and arrange them so that you can make all the connections
identified below. Glue these onto what is left of the page be sure to connect the trophic
levels according to the relationships below. Make sure arrows go in the correct
direction.
Finally, identify whether each animal is an herbivore, omnivore, or carnivore. Write this under the
box of each animal on the food web you have created
Songbirds
Insects (and
larvae)
Owl
Shrubs
(berries or
buds)
Bear
Cougar
Rodent
(mice)
Fox
Deer
Birds
(nonsongbird)
Opossum
Grasses (and
seeds from
grass)
Berries
Skunk
Worms
Trees (nut
bearing or fruit
bearing)
Small trees
(leaves and
roots)
HERE IS THE INFORMATION
1. Bears eat vegetation (bushes,
berries, etc) and deer
2. Cougars eat deer
3. The owl and the fox eat songbirds
4. Songbirds eat a variety of seeds
from grasses
5. Rodents eat grains (seeds of plants)
6. Insects eat a variety of plants
(larvae)
7. Deer eat grass, shrubs, small trees,
and berries
8. Insects are eaten by skunks bird and
opossums
9. Opossums also eat fruits
10. Skunks also eat berries, nuts (from
trees), leaves and roots and a
variety of fruits from bushes
(raspberries, blueberries) or trees
(apples, peaches).
11. Birds eat seeds and insects
12. Worms are decomposers
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Food Web in a Deciduous Forest
Name ________________Bio A
PuT WEB HERE
Songbirds Insects (and Owl
larvae)
Birds
(nonsongbird)
Grasses (and
seeds from
grass)
Trees (nut
bearing or
fruit bearing)
Shrubs
(berries
or buds)
Cougar
Rodent
(mice)
Opossum
Berries
Small trees
(leaves and
roots)
Bear
Fox
Deer
Skunk
Worms
3
Food Web in a Deciduous Forest
Name ________________Bio A
4
Food Web in a Deciduous Forest
Name ________________Bio A
Answers (worms not shown, additional producers put in).
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