What is Food Web? Concepts and Importance & Examples
Table of Contents
Hi everyone! I am here to discuss the Food Web on this topic. Do you ever listen to what is the Food Web in our environment? Basically, the Food Web is the conceptual tool to develop the feeding relationships among the species of the community. It builds the relationships between the different species. It is the dynamic network of energy transfer in the environment.
The most important ecological concept is the Food Web in the environment. Basically, the Food Web is the feeding relationship within the communities. It is the network of the transfer of energy from plants to herbivores to carnivores and then ultimately to omnivores. Normally, the Food Web is formed by the combination of the many Food Chains. Each step of the food chain is explaining the mechanism of the energy transfer.
What is Food Web?
There are some unique relationships and interactions between the different organisms for the transfer of energy in the environment. The energy, once produced by the producers, and transfer to the other organisms when they are eaten by the other ones. This energy transfer is known as Food Web.
10 Percent Energy Rule
Although the primary consumers eat the producers for the sake of energy, instead of that they also take energy from the sun. The primary consumers eat the producers and break down the food particles to release energy.
The producers cannot gain 100% energy from the sun but only take 1% energy for their metabolism and the remaining energy is not consumed by them. This rule states that only 10% of the energy is transformed to the other trophic level.
Energy Movement
The energy flows through the different trophic levels. The autotrophs start this process to prepare their food with the use of sunlight. His energy is transferred to the upper trophic levels as the members of the levels above them consume the different organisms.
Approximately 10% of the energy is transferred to the next trophic level. Also, the 10% energy is needed to convert to the next level of biomass (The overall mass of the things and organisms existing in a given trophic level). Only a part of the energy as a result of activities is converted into the biomass
Food Web VS Food Chain
Food Web is the combination of the many food chains that exist in the environment. The Food Web includes many trophic levels. But, the Food Chain is defined as the sequence in which one organism eats the other organism before it and is eaten by the organism one after it. The food Chain is not complex but the Food Web is complex and consists of many trophic levels compared to the food chain.
Importance of Food Webs
The Food Webs also helps us to know how the energy flows through the different trophic levels that begin from the sun and transfers to the consumers and at last into the decomposers. It is the interconnectedness of the different trophic levels.
Like the energy, the other substances also move through the ecosystem. When other poisons are introduced into the environment, it causes devastating effects on the environment and also disturbs the food web. There are two most important components named Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification. Bioaccumulation is the accumulation of substances in animals and other living organisms. But, Bio-magnification refers to the buildup and increase in the concentration of the said substance passed from the trophic level to the other trophic level
The increase in the toxic substances has the most devastating effects on the species of trophic levels. Eg, man-made chemicals often do not break easily and can cause the buildup of fatty tissues over time. These substances are called persistent organic pollutants.
Marine Environments are the common sources for the transformation of toxic substances from phytoplankton to zooplankton, further to the fishes that eat this type of phytoplankton. The POP level is high in the Orcas which have their blubber filled with high levels of toxic substances. These levels of contamination cause the serious problems like reproductive problems, immune system issues and developmental issues.
By the analysis of the Food Webs scientists are able to understand that energy and substances move through the ecosystem. These are more able to prevention from bioaccumulation and bio magnification of toxic substances in the environment.
Final Words
In this post, you have read about Food Web. I have clearly explained the Food Web with examples. I hope you have read this topic carefully. Basically, the Food Web is on many trophic levels as compared to the Food Chains. The Food Web is the combination of the many Food Chains and also on the different trophic levels. If you have any questions related to this post which is discussed above then you are free to ask. Thank You, Guys!
