Food Chains, Food Webs & Nutrient Cycling Flashcards

All 5 cards in this deck

What is the role of producers in an ecosystem?

They produce their own food, converting the sun's energy into food by photosynthesis. They are at the bottom of the food chain and may be eaten by consumers.

What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

A food web is made of a number of connected food chains, whereas a food chain is only one straight line from producer to each consumer. In a web each organism may be eaten by two or more organisms.

What is nutrient cycling in an ecosystem?

The continuous transfer of nutrients between the three stores: soil, biomass (living plants and animals) and litter (dead leaves and remains). Decomposers break down dead material and release nutrients back into the soil for plants to take up.

What is a consumer in an ecosystem?

An organism that cannot make its own food, so it gets its energy by eating other organisms – plants (producers) or other animals.

What is a decomposer? Give an example.

An organism that breaks down dead plant and animal material, returning nutrients to the soil, e.g. bacteria or fungi.