Transcript Food Chains and Food Webs

Food Chains and
Food Webs
Why do scientists study food
chains?
• Scientists study food chains to
see how energy flows through
organisms
• Where do we get energy?
–Food (plants, animals)
–Where do those organisms get
energy?
Carnivores
Herbivores
Omnivores
Producers
• Organisms that make their own food
• Bottom of the food chain
Consumers
• Organisms that do NOT make their own
food but have to find it
• Primary consumers: middle of the food
chain; get their energy from producers
• Secondary consumers: top of the food
chain; get their energy from primary
consumers
Decomposers
• Breaks down the soft tissues of dead
plants and animals
• Two types of decomposers
–1. Bacteria
–2. Fungi
Scavengers
• Organisms that are too lazy to go
hunt for their food
Predators
• Animals that hunt
Prey
• Animals being hunted
Endangered
• organisms that are rare and
may eventually disappear
Extinct
• organisms that are gone
According to Terracycle, 100
species of animals and
plants become extinct
every week!!!
How do humans affect food
chains?
Links
• http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/a
nimals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.htm
• http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/ja
ms/science/ecosystems/food-chains.htm
• http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/f
rogs/chain_reaction/index.cfm
• http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/a
nimals/kidscorner/foodchain/foodchain.htm