Food Web and Food Chain worksheet - Free Printable

Let’s go step by step through the worksheet.

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Left Page – Fill in the blanks:

1. “A food web shows how each organism gets its energy.” → This is already filled correctly.

2. “The way in which living organisms depend on each other for survival, growth and reproduction” → That’s interdependence. (Already filled)

3. “The number or amount of a type of living organism that lives in the same area at the same time” → That’s population. (Already filled)

4. “An organism that eats plants and also other animals” → That’s an omnivore. (Already filled)

So left page is complete.

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Right Page – Questions:

Question 1: Which of the following organisms are prey?

Prey = animals that are eaten by others.

Look at the food web:

- Goat → eaten by snow leopard → so goat is prey ✔
- Panda → eats bamboo, but no one eats panda in this diagram → not prey ✘
- Fox → eats rabbit and berries; not shown being eaten → not prey ✘
- Yellow-banded hornet → eats nectar? Not shown being eaten → probably not prey here ✘
- Rabbit → eaten by fox → so rabbit is prey ✔
- Snow leopard → top predator, eats goat and maybe others → not prey ✘
- Bamboo → plant, producer → not prey (prey usually refers to animals) ✘
- Berries → same as above ✘
- Nectar → not an organism ✘
- Red-tailed kite → bird of prey, likely eats small animals — but in this diagram, nothing eats it → not prey ✘

Wait — let’s check again based on arrows in the food web (arrows point from what is eaten to what eats it).

From the diagram:

→ Goat → Snow Leopard
→ Rabbit → Fox
→ Rabbit → Red-tailed Kite? (Actually, looking at typical diagrams, red-tailed kite might eat rabbit — yes, arrow from rabbit to kite?)
Also, panda eats bamboo — no one eats panda.
Fox eats rabbit and berries — no one eats fox.
Snow leopard eats goat — no one eats snow leopard.
Red-tailed kite — if it eats rabbit, then rabbit is prey to it too.

But question says: “Which of the following organisms are prey?” and lists:

☐ Goat → YES (eaten by snow leopard)
☐ Panda → NO
Fox → NO
☐ Yellow-banded hornet → NO (not shown being eaten)
☐ Rabbit → YES (eaten by fox and possibly kite)
☐ Snow leopard → NO
☐ Bamboo → NO (producer)
☐ Berries → NO
☐ Nectar → NO
☐ Red-tailed kite → NO (top predator)

So correct answers: Goat, Rabbit

*(Note: If red-tailed kite is eaten by something else not shown, we can’t assume. Based on given diagram, only goat and rabbit are clearly prey.)*

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Question 2: What would happen to the population of goats per km² due to a disease that kills off hornets?

Hornets (yellow-banded hornet) — do they interact with goats?

In the food web: Hornets get nectar from flowers. Goats eat grass. No direct link.

If hornets die off → fewer pollinators → maybe fewer flowers → but goats don’t eat flowers directly? In this diagram, goats eat grass. Flowers may be separate.

Unless... does anything eat hornets? Not shown. Does hornet affect goat indirectly? Probably not.

So: No effect — because there’s no connection between hornets and goats in this food web.

Answer: *There would be no change in the goat population because hornets and goats are not connected in this food web.*

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Question 3: Explain what could happen to the bamboo or population if the number of pandas increases.

Pandas eat bamboo.

If more pandas → they eat more bamboo → bamboo population decreases.

Then, if bamboo runs low, pandas might starve → their population might drop later.

But question asks: what happens to bamboo OR population (probably meaning panda population?).

Best answer:

*If the number of pandas increases, they will eat more bamboo. This could cause the bamboo population to decrease. If bamboo becomes scarce, the panda population might eventually decrease too due to lack of food.*

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Question 4: Explain how a decrease in the population of deer could lower the number of predators.

Deer are prey for some predators (like wolves, lions — but in this diagram, deer aren’t shown! Wait — hold on.)

Looking back at the original image description — the food web includes: goat, panda, fox, rabbit, snow leopard, red-tailed kite, bamboo, berries, nectar, hornet.

There is no deer in the diagram!

This is confusing. Maybe it’s a general question not tied to the diagram? Or typo?

Assuming it’s a general ecology question:

If deer population decreases → predators that eat deer (like wolves, cougars) have less food → their populations may decrease due to starvation or reduced reproduction.

So answer:

*If the deer population decreases, predators that rely on deer for food will have less to eat. This can lead to fewer births, more deaths among predators, and ultimately a smaller predator population.*

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Question 5: The berries are pollinated by insects. Explain two ways that a decrease in the number of insects could affect the population in the food web.

Berries are eaten by foxes (and maybe others?).

If insects decrease → fewer pollinators → fewer berry plants → fewer berries → animals that eat berries (like foxes) have less food → their population might decrease.

Also, if insects themselves are part of the food web (e.g., eaten by birds), then decreasing insects affects those predators too.

Two ways:

1. Fewer insects mean fewer pollinators → fewer berries grow → animals that eat berries (like foxes) may starve or reproduce less → their population drops.

2. Insects are also food for some animals (like birds or frogs). If insect numbers drop, those animals lose a food source → their populations may decline too.

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Now, compiling final answers for right page:

Q1: Goat, Rabbit
Q2: No effect — hornets and goats are not connected in this food web.
Q3: More pandas → eat more bamboo → bamboo decreases → may cause panda population to fall later.
Q4: Less deer → predators have less food → predator population decreases.
Q5:
- Fewer berries → less food for berry-eaters (like foxes) → their population drops.
- Insects are food for other animals → those animals’ populations drop too.

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Final Answer:

Right Page Answers:

1. ☑ Goat
☑ Rabbit

2. There would be no change in the goat population because hornets and goats are not connected in this food web.

3. If the number of pandas increases, they will eat more bamboo. This could cause the bamboo population to decrease. If bamboo becomes scarce, the panda population might eventually decrease too due to lack of food.

4. If the deer population decreases, predators that rely on deer for food will have less to eat. This can lead to fewer births, more deaths among predators, and ultimately a smaller predator population.

5.
- Fewer insects mean fewer pollinators, so fewer berries grow. Animals that eat berries (like foxes) may starve or reproduce less, causing their population to drop.
- Insects are also food for other animals (like birds). If insect numbers drop, those animals lose a food source and their populations may decline too.