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Food Chain and Food Web Differences in Biology Import Concepts Must to Know

Question. Difference Between Food Chain and Food Web.

Answer:

Food Chain:

  • Before you can understand the movement of a food web, it՚s important to look at a food chain. In the simplest terms, a food chain shows you the movement of energy from producers to consumers.
  • For example, a plant uses photosynthesis to make energy. The plant is then eaten by a worm. The worm is then eaten by a bird.
  • This is a simple food chain: Plant worm bird
  • A food chain can be longer or shorter, but it only follows a simple, linear series of steps of energy from the producer to the consumers that eat it. Food chains typically end at the top predator, but can include the decomposers, which break down the top predators and start the chain over again.
Illustration: Food Chain and Food Web Differences in Biology Import Concepts Must to Know

Types of Food Chains:

Food chains happen in all ecosystems. However, the type of producers and consumers vary. For example, a food chain in a forest ecosystem is different from a food chain found within a pond ecosystem.

Example of a Food Chain:

Since it can be easier to see a food chain in action, view these food chain examples.

  1. plants deer humans
  2. grass goats tigers
  3. flowers mice snakes eagles
  4. grass rabbit fox coyote

Food Web:

While a food chain follows a singular path of energy from a producer to a top predator, food webs illustrate the ways different animals are interconnected and interact in a food chain. For instance, there are several predators that can eat a mouse or rabbit. It also explores the different paths energy can take within an ecosystem.

  • For example, phytoplankton can be eaten by primary consumers like small planktivorous fish, benthic invertebrates, and bivalves in a bay ecosystem. Small planktivorous fish can then be eaten by secondary consumers, including gulls, wading birds, and large fish. Those large fish can then be eaten by the tertiary consumer, bald eagle.
Illustration: Food Chain and Food Web Differences in Biology Import Concepts Must to Know

Food Web Examples:

In food web examples, it can be hard to follow the flow of energy without a visual because each different ecosystem has multiple producers and consumers. For example, a food web of a forest would include:

  1. Producers: seeds, plants
  2. Primary consumers: rabbits, deer, squirrels, birds
  3. Secondary consumers: fox, hawk
Table of Difference between Food Chain and Food WebTable of Difference between Food Chain and Food Web
Differentiating PropertyFood ChainFood Web
MeaningThe Food chain is the flow of energy from the lower trophic level to the higher trophic through a single direct route level.Food web means, mutually, many food chains via which energy flows into the ecosystem.
CompositionIt comprises of just one straight chain.It comprises of various interconnected food chains.
Energy FlowSingle linear pathway of energy and nutrient flow.Multiple interconnected pathways through which nutrient and energy flow.
StabilityIt because of an increasing number of separate and confined food chainsIt increases because of the presence of the complex food chains.
Trophic LevelComprises of 4 - 6 trophic levels of different species.Comprises of multiple trophic levels of different populations of species.
Feeding RelationshipMembers of higher trophic level feed upon a single type of organisms of lower trophic level.Members of higher trophic level feed upon different types of organisms of lower trophic levels.
DisturbanceIn the food chain, if any group of an organism gets disturbed, whole chain get disturbed.If one group of organisms is removed, it does not impact the food web.
Number of chainsIn a food chain, there is an only single straight chain.In a food web, there are multiple interconnected food chains.
Feed UponIn the food chain, typically, the higher trophic level member depends on or feeds on a single kind of lower trophic level organism.In the food web, higher trophic level members rely or feed on various kinds of lower trophic level organisms.
TypesFood chain can be classified into two types.

1. Detritus food chain

2. Grazing food chain

No type
Adaptability and Competitiveness of OrganismsFood chain does not improve the adaptability and competitiveness of organisms.Food web improves the adaptability and competitiveness of organisms.