Food Chains and Webs

Who Eats Whom?

The Food Chain

A food chain is a simple, linear sequence showing the transfer of energy from one organism to another.

Example of a Grassland Food Chain:

Trophic Levels

Each step in a food chain is called a Trophic Level (troph = food).

1. Level 1: Producers (Autotrophs) - Green plants that make food using sunlight.
2. Level 2: Primary Consumers (Herbivores) - Animals that eat plants (e.g., Deer, Grasshopper).
3. Level 3: Secondary Consumers (Small Carnivores) - Animals that eat herbivores (e.g., Frog, Fox).
4. Level 4: Tertiary Consumers (Top Carnivores) - Animals that eat other carnivores (e.g., Tiger, Eagle).

The Food Web

In nature, chains are never simple. A frog eats many insects, and a snake eats frogs, rats, and birds. When we connect all possible food chains in an ecosystem, we get a network called a Food Web.