Food webs and energy flow
A food web is a network of many connected food chains in an ecosystem.
It shows who eats whom and how energy moves from one organism to another.
They show how plants, animals, and decomposers are linked.
They help us understand what happens if one organism disappears.
They make ecosystems stable.
Phytoplankton and zooplankton form the base of aquatic food webs.
Phytoplankton are tiny plant-like producers that make their own food using sunlight.
Zooplankton are tiny animal-like consumers that feed on phytoplankton.
They start the energy flow in water ecosystems, supporting fish and all other aquatic animals.
A food web shows who eats whom in an ecosystem.
energy flow
Energy flow shows how energy moves from one organism to another in the food web.
Energy starts from the sun and is captured by producers like phytoplankton.
Zooplankton eat phytoplankton, so energy moves to the first consumers.
Energy then passes to small fish, big fish, and other animals in the food web.
At each step, only a small amount of energy is passed to the next level.
Most energy is lost as heat during life processes.
Energy always flows in one direction: sun → producers → consumers → decomposers.