Difference between food chain and food web

Definitions A food chain is a linear illustration that depicts how nutrients and energy flow between one organism to the next in any particular ecosystem. Food chains begin from the producers in an ecosystem, such as plants, to the organism feeding on the plants and all the way to the apex predators that do not have natural predators. Examples of apex predators include bears and killer whales. In some food chains, the food chains end up with detrivores such as woodlice or even decomposer organisms such as bacteria. There are two types of a food chain namely a grazing food chain and a detritus food chain. A food web, also called a consumer-resource system, is an intricate pattern formed after food chains are connected to show which species feed on which in any ecosystem. The food web has multiple producers and consumers. For example, a plant (a producer) is eaten by any number of consumers such as gazelles. In turn, the gazelles are eaten by any number of predators such as lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and others. Unlike a food chain that shows only one consumer of a particular organism, the food web has multiple consumers. Also, in a food web, some species can play multiple roles in the ecosystem and so is a more accurate depiction of an ecosystem. Differences Between A Food Chain And A Food Web Individual and separated food chains have a higher chance of having instabilities in the ecosystem for the case of the food chain. However, for the food web, the ecosystem is made much ...

Food chains and food webs are easy to get confused since they both show the movement of energy through an ecosystem. But, while a food chain only shows a singular path, the food web shows how the paths are connected. Learn other differences between a food chain and a food web by looking at each one. Get examples of how a food chain and food web work. What Is a Food Chain? 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 As you can see the flow of energy doesn’t just follow a simple line, it moves and loops. Therefore, it becomes convoluted easily. However, food webs break down how animals and trophic levels interconnect. Get a simple breakdown of the differences between a food chain and food web through a quick table. Food Chain Food Web Linear feeding hierarchy, following a single flow of energy Graphical model following the interconnected path energy takes in an ecosystem Single unit Multiple interconnected pathways Includes 4-6 trophic levels Multiple trophic levels Predators only feed on one specific consumer Predators feed on multiple consumers When it comes to which is more useful, a food chain or a food web, both a food chain and a food web serv...

Plants and animals depend on other plants or animals to survive. For instance, it can be a deer eating shrub leaves or lions eating the deer. Thus, we have food chains and food webs describing the flow of energy and nutrients in an ecosystem. Moreover, these food webs and food chains help us in understanding the living organisms of an ecosystem and it balances the energy. Thus, we will dig deeper into the difference between 3.2.1 FAQs about Food Chain And Food Web Definition of Food Chain The sequence of organisms within an ecosystem through which food and energy pass in each member is known as a Definition of Food Web When various food chains link together to form a network, it refers to the food web. In a food web, you will find different species of organisms of the population. All of these have one thing in common, which is the requirement of energy for carrying out the activities. Most importantly, the sun is the main source of energy on Earth. Green plants use this energy to make their food. Once they capture this energy, it passes through many phases of several organisms of the specific region which we call a food web. Difference between Food Chain And Food Web Basis of Comparison Food Chain Food Web Meaning It is the flow of energy through a single straight pathway from the lower trophic level to a higher one It is the multiple linked food chains through which flow of energy happens in the ecosystem Composition It comprises of just one straight chain It comprises of...

Difference Between Food Chain And Food Web Before we look at the difference Between Food Chain and Food Web, let’s understand what a food chain is: A food chain is a linear flow of energy and nutrients from one organism to another. Each organism sits at a particular trophic level; for instance, the primary producers, such as grass, sit at trophic level 1, and the apex predators sit at trophic level 4 or 5. A food web can be termed as the combination of many different food chains and the relationship between organisms. Difference Between Food Chain And Food Web The most important differences Between Food Chain and Food Web are summarized below: Difference Between Food Chain And Food Web Food Chain Food Web A linear pathway showing the flow of energy A multitude of networks showing the flow of energy An organism of higher level trophic feeds on a specific organism of lower trophic level An organism of a higher trophic level has access to more members of a lower trophic level. Does not affect the adaptability and competitiveness of organisms. It has a role in improving the adaptability and competitiveness of an organism. To Summarize A food chain is a basic network that shows the linear flow of nutrients and energy from one trophic level to another. A food web is a multitude of interconnected food chains at many trophic levels. Furthermore, a food web accurately represents all the various food chains that exist in an Related Links:

The food chain is a sequential pathway that shows that the flow of energy moves or transfers from one organism to the other. In this pathway, energy is not created, nor can it be destroyed but it flows from one level to the other level through different organisms. Similarly, there are producers, consumers, and decomposers who are interconnected through many food chains that create a food web. This shows the interactions between different organisms in an ecosystem. Both the food chain and food web represent the flow of energy and matter in trophic levels and efficiency of energy transfer. In these pathways, organisms are dependent on each other for food. Difference Between Food Chain and Food Web Food chain Food web It is a pathway in which organisms in an ecosystem are grouped into trophic levels and are shown in a succession to represent a linear flow of food energy and the feeding relationships between them. It is a graphical model showing the interconnecting food chains in an ecological community. It is a single linear pathway of energy flow. It has a number of interconnected pathways through which the energy flows within an ecosystem. It is a single unit. It is a connection of several interconnected food chains. It may consist of 4 - 6 trophic levels. It consists of many numbers of trophic levels It increases the instability of an ecosystem. It increases the stability of an ecosystem It does not improve the adaptability and competition amongst the organisms. It improve...

The food chain is a simple representation that illustrates the linear passage of nutrients and energy. The producers initiate this energy flow and it ends with the apex consumers. In contrast, the food web is a detailed presentation that depicts the interconnection between several food chains. In a food chain, one trophic level’s organism solely depends upon the single preceding trophic level. Here, every particular organism has its specified consumer. Thus, if any of the organisms is removed, it might disturb the whole energy flow. For this reason, the chances of instability in the environment increase. Whereas, in food webs, one trophic level never completely gets dependent on a single species. Here, the one organism serves multiple roles, i.e., of a producer or a consumer. Thus, the removal of a species never causes significant damage to the ecosystem. This section will emphasize key differences between the food chain and the food web. Content: Food Chain Vs Food Web • • • • • • Comparison Chart Basis for Comparison Food Chain Food Web Meaning The flow of energy through a single straight pathway from the lower trophic level to the higher trophic level is called food chain. The interconnected, numerous food chains through which the energy flow in the ecosystem is called food web. Number of chains It consists of only one straight chain. It consists of many interconnected food chains. Stability The instability increases due to increasing number of separate and confined foo...