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    Food Chain

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    najmunnisa

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    Food Chain

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    Food Chain

    Uploaded by

    najmunnisa

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    FOOD CHAIN, FOOD WEB

    AND
    ECOLOGICAL PYRAMID
    RAHUL MALAKAR
    ASST. PROFESSOR
    DEPT. OF BOTANY
    MANGALDAI COLLEGE
    Concept of trophic level in
    an ecosystem
    (Greek word ‘trophic’ = to food or feeding)

    A trophic level refers to the position


    of an organism in the food chain. The
    number of trophic levels is equal to the
    number of steps in the food chain. The green
    plants (producers) occupying the first trophic
    level (T1) are called producers. The energy
    produced by the producers is utilized by the
    plant eaters (herbivores) they are called
    primary consumers and occupy the second
    trophic level (T2).

    Herbivores are eaten by carnivores,


    which occupy the third trophic level (T3).
    They are also called secondary consumers or
    primary carnivores. Carnivores are eaten by
    the other carnivores, which occupy the
    fourth trophic level (T4). They are called the
    tertiary consumers or secondary carnivores.
    Some organisms which eat both plants and
    FOOD CHAIN
    The sequence of eating and being eaten
    in an ecosystem is known as food chain.
    e.g. in grassland ecosystem,

    in forest ecosystem,
    Two types of food cains –
    a) Grazing food chain
    b) Detritus food chain

    c) Grazing food chain:


    It starts with green plants, its primary producers
    and terminates in carnivores. The grazing food chain derive
    its energy basically from green plants. They are found only
    in natural ecosystem.
    e.g. In pond ecosystem,
    Phytoplankton Zoo plankton Small fish

    Carnivorous fish
    b) Detritus food chain:
    It starts with death organic matters
    which are consumed by the detrivores and
    decomposers. Partially decompose death organic
    matters and even the decomposers are consumed
    by detrivores and their predators. Detritus food
    chains obtain energy, primarily from plant
    biomass and secondarily from microbial biomass
    and tertiarilly from carnivores.
    e.g. In mangrove or esturine ecosystem,

    Leaf litters Saprotrophs


    + Small carnivorous fish Large carnivorous fish

    Small algae Detrivores


    ( crabs, insect larva, nematode, small fishes)
    FOOD WEB
    Food web is a network of food chains, where
    different types of organisms are connected at different trophic
    levels so that there are number of options of eating and being
    eaten at each trophic level.
    ❖Significance of food chain and food web:
    a) Food chains and food webs play a very
    significant role in the ecosystem because the
    two most important functions of energy flow
    and nutrient cycling take place through them.
    b) Food chain also helps in maintaining and
    regulating the population size of different
    animals and thus helps in maintaining the
    ecological balance.
    c) Food chain shows a unique property of
    biological magnification of some chemicals.
    d) Food web is constructed to describe species
    interaction called direct interaction.
    e) Food web can be used to illustrate indirect
    interactions among different species.
    f) Food can be used to study bottom-up or top
    down control of community structure.
    g) Food web can be used to reveal different
    patterns of energy transfer in terrestrial and
    aquatic ecosystems.
    ECOLOGICAL PYRAMID

    The graphical representation of trophic


    structure and function of an ecosystem starting
    with producers at the base and successive trophic
    levels forming the apex is known as ecological
    pyramids. There are 3 types of ecological
    pyramids:
    a) Pyramid of Number
    b) Pyramid of Biomass
    c) Pyramid of Energy
    a) Pyramid of Number:
    It represents the number of individual
    organisms at each trophic level. Depending upon
    the types of ecosystem and food chains pyramids
    of number are of two types –
    1. Upright pyramid
    2. Inverted pyramid

    Grassland ecosystem and pond ecosystem


    show upright pyramid of number.
    Upright pyramid of number Upright pyramid of number in
    in grassland ecosystem pond ecosystem
    The pyramid of number in forest ecosystem
    looks spindle shaped.
    The pyramid of number in a parasite ecosystem
    is always inverted .
    b) Pyramid of Biomass:
    A graphical representation of the
    amount of organic material (biomass) present at
    each successive trophic level in an ecosystem is
    called pyramid of biomass. It is based upon the
    total biomass each trophic level in a food chain.
    It can be upright or inverted.
    Grassland and forest ecosystems show upright
    pyramids of biomass.
    The pyramid of biomass for pond ecosystem is
    always inverted in shape.
    c) Pyramid of Energy:
    A graphical representation of energy
    flow at each successive trophic level in an
    ecosystem is called pyramid of energy. The
    bottom of the pyramid of energy is occupied by
    the producers. There is a gradual decrease in
    energy transfer at successive tropic levels from
    producers to the upper levels. Therefore, the
    pyramid of energy is always upright.
    Pyramid of energy

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