Food Chains

• What might blow your mind if you like food and chains?

  Food chains
• What should you prepare for when learning about food chains?

  Some edge of your seat learning
• What do food chains show in an ecosystem?

  • What is eaten by what
  • Energy flow through organisms
  • Relationships among species
• What do food chains always start with?

  A producer
• What do producers make using energy from the Sun?

  Their own food
• What are producers usually in food chains?

  Green plants or algae
• What do producers make through photosynthesis?

  Glucose
• What are the biological molecules that make up a plant's biomass?

  Biological molecules
• How can biomass be thought of in plants?

  As stored energy
• How is energy transferred in an ecosystem?

  Through living organisms
• What are primary consumers in a food chain?

  Organisms that eat producers
• What are secondary consumers in a food chain?

  Organisms that eat primary consumers
• What are tertiary consumers in a food chain?

  Organisms that eat secondary consumers
• What are predators in an ecosystem?

  Consumers that hunt and kill
• What happens to the population of predators if the prey population increases?

  The predator population will increase
• What limits the population of any species in an ecosystem?

  The amount of food available
• What happens to the predator population if the prey population decreases?

  The predator population will decrease
• What are the dynamics of prey and predator populations?

  1. Increase in prey leads to increase in predators
  2. Decrease in prey leads to decrease in predators
  3. Balance is maintained in stable ecosystems
• What is a peak in rabbit numbers followed by?

  A peak in foxes
• What follows a peak in fox numbers?

  A decline in rabbit numbers
• What happens to prey populations when predator populations increase?

  Prey populations decrease
• What happens to predator populations when prey populations decrease?

  Predator populations decrease
• What are the cycles of prey and predator populations?

  • Fluctuations in numbers
  • Interdependence of species
  • Impact of food availability
• What is the relationship between prey and predator populations in stable communities?

  They fluctuate together
• How do changes in prey populations affect predator populations?

  Changes in prey affect predator numbers
• What is the significance of understanding food chains?

  It helps us understand ecosystem dynamics
• What happens to the number of prey as the population of predators increases?

  The number of prey will decrease
• What is the relationship between populations of prey and predators?

  • As predator population increases, prey decreases
  • As prey population increases, predator population increases
• What happens after a peak in rabbit numbers?

  A peak in foxes follows
• What does an increase in rabbit numbers indicate for foxes?

  It indicates an increase in fox numbers
• What does more rabbits mean for foxes?

  More foxes will be present
• What does a decrease in foxes mean for rabbits?

  It means fewer rabbits will be killed
• How do predator-prey cycles affect population dynamics?

  They create fluctuations in both populations
• What is a characteristic of predator-prey cycles?

  They are always out of phase
• Why does it take time for one population to respond to changes in another?

  Because reproduction takes time
• What happens when the number of rabbits increases?

  The number of foxes will eventually increase
• What is the effect of a rise in the TV volume on the population dynamics?

  It can lead to a decrease in rabbit numbers
• What is the starting point of a food chain?

  It is usually a plant
• In most cases, what is the producer in a food chain?

  It is typically a plant
• What can sometimes be the starting point of a food chain?

  Some organisms like algae can be producers