FOOD CHAINS & FOOD WEBS NOTES
Food Chain -- Diagram that shows how _________________________ from 1 organism to another in an
ecosystem.
Food Web -- Diagram that shows the ___________________________________ between organisms in an
ecosystem.
Producer -- Makes its own _______________ by:
 Photosynthesis – uses ________________________
 Chemosynthesis – uses _______________________
 VERY IMPORTANT: The _________________ of a food chain and the __________________ in a food
web.
 Example – phytoplankton, _________________, ___________________
Consumer -- ___________________ make their own food, must eat _____________ producers, consumers, or
decomposers.
• Examples – _________________, sharks, fish, ____________, birds, zooplankton
Decomposer -- __________________ make their own food; eats __________ producers, consumers, or
decomposers.
• Breaks down dead stuff and _____________________ it.
• Examples – ____________________, vultures, some ___________________
Groups of Marine Organisms:
Plankton or drifters, drift in the surface or ______________________
– Phytoplankton – _______________________
– Zooplankton – _____________________________
• Nekton – swim in the open ocean. Examples: __________________, _______________________
• Benthos – live on the ocean floor. Examples: __________________, __________________,
____________________
TERRESTRIAL ORGANISMS – Organisms that primarily live on _________________________________.
AQUATIC ORGANISMS – Organisms that primarily live in __________________________.
Food Web Game
Play one round of a game with your table partner. Sun should be in the center of your game. After you complete
the first round, let me know and I will come around and check your food web.
1. When I approve, please draw it in the space below.
2. Once it’s drawn, mark all your terrestrial organisms brown and all your aquatic organisms blue.
3. Answer the questions below.
Where must all food webs begin? ______________________
Name 2 producers from your web: _____________________________________
Name one primary (first level) consumer: _______________________________
Name one secondary (second level) consumer: ___________________________
Name one tertiary (higher level) consumer: ______________________________
Food web drawing