food web
Interconnected feeding relationships
A food web is the network of feeding relationships in an ecosystem—who eats whom.
Unlike a simple food chain, which shows a single linear path of energy transfer, a food web captures the complex, interconnected reality: a fox eats rabbits and mice, while hawks also eat mice, and both prey species eat various plants.
The collapse of one species can ripple through the entire food web.
Study of environmental relations
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- biomeMajor ecological community
- coral-reefSubmarine calcium carbonate ecosystem
- savannaTropical grassland, sparse trees
Those who create goods
- herbivoresFauna consuming only plants
- carnivoresAnimals eating only meat
- omnivoresCreatures consuming both kingdoms
- decomposersOrganisms breaking down dead material
detritivores · autotrophs · heterotrophs · phytoplankton · zooplankton · biomass
Ecological consumption relationship
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
- parasitismOne benefits, one suffers
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
- commensalismNeutral host, benefiting guest
competition · coevolution · interdependence · predation · herbivory · scavenging · foraging · bottom-up
Breakdown into simpler parts
- detritusLoose waste from decay
- mineralizationConversion to mineral form
- productivityOutput relative to input
- respirationGas exchange in organisms
ecology
Study of environmental relations
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- biomeMajor ecological community
- coral-reefSubmarine calcium carbonate ecosystem
savanna · rainforest · wetland · biodiversity
producers
Those who create goods
- herbivoresFauna consuming only plants
- carnivoresAnimals eating only meat
- omnivoresCreatures consuming both kingdoms
decomposers · detritivores · autotrophs · heterotrophs · phytoplankton · zooplankton · biomass
predator-prey
Ecological consumption relationship
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
- parasitismOne benefits, one suffers
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
commensalism · competition · coevolution · interdependence · predation · herbivory · scavenging · foraging · bottom-up · top-down
decomposition
Breakdown into simpler parts
- detritusLoose waste from decay
- mineralizationConversion to mineral form
- productivityOutput relative to input
respiration · photosynthesis · biomagnification · bioaccumulation
- food websproducer, consumer, decomposer, predator, herbivores
- ecology modelsenergy flow, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, nutrient cycle, carrying capacity
- connectionslink, links, connect, connection, tie
- biology termscell, DNA, genetics, genetic, evolution
- biology topicsanimals, plants, insects, dinosaurs, fish
- conservationconservation, wildlife, endangered, habitat, sanctuary