Let's solve each question based on the food web diagram provided.
---
1. State the main difference between a food chain and a food web.
Answer:
A
food chain shows a single, linear pathway of energy transfer from one organism to another (e.g., Grass → Grasshopper → Bird → Fox).
A
food web, on the other hand, shows multiple interconnected food chains, representing the complex feeding relationships in an ecosystem. It illustrates how many organisms can have more than one food source or predator.
>
✔ Main Difference: A food chain is a simple, straight-line sequence, while a food web is a network of interconnected food chains showing the complexity of feeding relationships.
---
2. In the food chain: Grasses → Grasshoppers → Birds → Foxes
a)
Name the producer:
✔ Grasses
(Producers are organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis.)
b)
Name the primary consumer:
✔ Grasshoppers
(Primary consumers eat producers.)
c)
Name the secondary consumer:
✔ Birds
(Secondary consumers eat primary consumers.)
d)
Name the tertiary consumer:
✔ Foxes
(Tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers.)
---
3. Name an apex predator in the food chain.
Answer:
✔ Foxes and
Owls
Apex predators are at the top of the food web and have no natural predators. Both foxes and owls are shown as top-level consumers with no arrows pointing to them from other animals.
>
✔ So, either
Foxes or
Owls can be named as apex predators.
---
4. Name three herbivores in the food web.
Herbivores are animals that eat plants (producers).
From the diagram:
-
Rabbits → eat carrots and grasses
-
Mice → eat grasses and grains
-
Grasshoppers → eat grasses
-
Birds → eat grains (some birds are herbivores)
✔ Three herbivores:
1.
Rabbits
2.
Grasshoppers
3.
Mice
> Note: Some birds may be omnivorous, but since they eat grains, they can be considered herbivores here.
---
5. Name three carnivores in the food web.
Carnivores are animals that eat other animals.
From the diagram:
-
Foxes → eat rabbits and mice
-
Owls → eat mice and grasshoppers
-
Birds → eat grasshoppers
✔ Three carnivores:
1.
Foxes
2.
Owls
3.
Birds
> Note: While some birds may also eat seeds, in this web they are shown consuming grasshoppers, so they act as carnivores here.
---
✔ Final Answers:
1.
A food chain is a single pathway of energy flow, while a food web is a network of interconnected food chains showing multiple feeding relationships.
2.
a) Producer:
Grasses
b) Primary consumer:
Grasshoppers
c) Secondary consumer:
Birds
d) Tertiary consumer:
Foxes
3.
Apex predator: Foxes (or
Owls)
4.
Three herbivores: Rabbits, Grasshoppers, Mice
5.
Three carnivores: Foxes, Owls, Birds
Let me know if you'd like a visual explanation or a labeled version of the food web!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of food chains worksheet.
