Food Chain

A food chain is a series of organisms, each dependent on the next as a source of food. It represents the flow of energy and nutrients through the ecosystem. Food chains start with a producer, such as a plant, and end with a consumer, such as an animal.

Key Terms

• Producer: An organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis, such as plants.
• Consumer: An organism that obtains energy by consuming other organisms, such as animals.
• Herbivore: A consumer that eats only plants.
• Carnivore: A consumer that eats only other animals.
• Omnivore: A consumer that eats both plants and animals.
• Decomposer: An organism that breaks down dead plants and animals, returning nutrients to the soil.

Example Food Chain

Here's an example of a simple food chain:

Grass (Producer) → Grasshopper (Herbivore) → Frog (Carnivore) → Snake (Carnivore) → Hawk (Carnivore)

Study Tips

• Understand the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a food chain.
• Learn the different types of consumers - herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.
• Practice identifying and creating food chains for different ecosystems.
• Understand the concept of energy flow through a food chain.

By understanding the concept of a food chain, you can gain a better understanding of how energy and nutrients move through ecosystems and the interdependent relationships between organisms.

[Food Chain] Related Worksheets and Study Guides:

• Food ChainsScience • First Grade
• Ecosystems, food chains and food websScience • Seventh Grade
• Food webs/food chainsScience • Fourth Grade