Food Chains and Food Webs

Food Chain

Food chain tells us how energy is transferred from one organism to another.

It is a linear sequence of organisms (i.e. Energy flows in one direction )

For example - 

• In a forest - Deer eats the leaves the trees and tiger eats the deer
  Trees ⟶ Deers ⟶ Tiger
  
  
• In a grassland - Flies suck nectar from the flowers, frog eats the flies, snake eats the frog, and Eagles eat Snakes
  Flower ⟶ Flies ⟶ Frog ⟶ Snake ⟶ Eagles 
  
  
• In a pond - Aquatic plants are eaten by Small fishes, small fishes are are eaten by larger fishes, and these larger fishes are eaten by birds like Pelicans
  Aquatic Plants ⟶ Small Fishes ⟶ Larger fishes ⟶ Birds like Pelicans

Food Web

Food web shows how many food chains are connected to each other.

It is a more realistic interpretation on how food is consumed in an ecosystem.

An example of food web is

So, in this food web

• The first food chain is, rabbit eats plant and eagles eat rabbit
  Plant ⟶ Rabbit ⟶ Eagles

• The second food chain is, fox eats rabbit and fox is eaten by eagles
  Rabbit ⟶ Fox ⟶ Eagles  

• Another can be
  Plant ⟶ Grasshopper ⟶ Frog ⟶ Snake ⟶ Eagle

• Another can be
  Plant ⟶ Dragonfly ⟶ Thrush (insect eating bird) ⟶ Eagle

• Another can be
  Plant ⟶ Grasshopper ⟶ Rat ⟶  Fox ⟶ Eagle

Now, let’s study Trophic Level