The principle of the food chain

The principle of the food chain

Introduction to the principle of food chain

The food chain is a fundamental concept in ecology and describes how energy and nutrients flow through the different levels of an ecosystem, from the producing plants to the predators at the top of the chain. However, this simple, linear path of food intake and the flow of energy is only part of the larger, complex network, which is referred to as a food network. In this article we will deal with the principle of food chain.

definition of the food chain

A food chain is a number of organisms in which everyone eats the next and eaten by it. Each stage of the food chain, also referred to as a trophy level, corresponds to a certain role within the food system. The organisms at each trophy level are categorized according to the type of food source and their position in the chain: producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers and so on.

producers

The producers, mainly green plants and algae, are the basis of every food chain. They are able to convert sunlight through the process of photosynthesis in glucose, the primary energy source for almost all organisms. Producers do not need any other organisms than food sources, they are autotroph.

primary consumers

The next stage of the food chain is the primary consumers. These are mainly herbivors, i.e. animals that eat plants. Primary consumers are heterotrophic because they have to feed on other organisms to gain energy.

Secondary and tertiary consumers

The next level consists of secondary consumers, mostly smaller carnivors, the herbivors eat. There are tertiary consumers, larger predators that eat both herbivors and smaller carnivore.

destruent and decompositeers

At the end of the food chain, the destructors or decompositions such as bacteria and mushrooms are reduced, which reduce dead organic material and released nutrients, which can then be recorded by the producers again. This closes the cycle and enable continuous flow of energy and nutrients in an ecosystem.

How does the energy flow through the food chain?

Energy flows through a food chain when an organism eats another. However, the energy is not completely transferred from one trophy level to the next. Instead, there is a significant loss of energy in the form of heat at every level, a concept known as a ten percent rule.

The ten percent rule

The ten percent rule states that only about ten percent of the energy that an organism absorbs is transferred to the next trophy level. The rest of the energy is consumed for life processes or handed over as heat. This rule explains why food chains usually have no more than five or six levels.

The role of the food chain in ecosystems

The food chain is of crucial importance for the functioning of ecosystems. It determines the energy and nutrient circulation in an ecosystem and affects population dynamics.

The population control

A food chain can help to keep the size of the populations in chess in an ecosystem. If, for example, the number of predators in a food chain increases, this can lead to the number of animals of the lower levels, its prey. In turn, this can have an impact on the producers, since a reduction in herbivors can lead to an increase in plant population.

biodiversity

The complexity and length of the food chains can also influence the biodiversity of an ecosystem. More complex food chains can lead to more biodiversity, since more types can take over roles in different parts of the chain.

human disorders in the food chain

Human activities can have a significant impact on food chains and thus on entire ecosystems.

overfishing and over hunting

Overfishing and over hunting can drastically reduce the number of predators in a food chain and thus change the balance of the food chain and the population sizes of other species in the ecosystem. A drastic example of such a disturbance is the almost complete extermination of the wolf in parts of North America in the 19th and 20th centuries, which led to an explosion of the deer population and overgrazing the vegetation.

pollution and climate change

Pollution and climate change lead to the loss of habitats and the shift in living conditions, which can lead to massive changes in the food chains.

summary

The principle of the food chain is an important concept in ecology and a fundamental feature of all ecosystems. It describes how energy and nutrients flow through a group of organisms, from producers to the predators at the top of the chain. But as we have seen, food chains are not a closed system, but open towards food networks in which many different chains are linked. Disorders, including those caused by human activities, can be disturbed by the sensitive balance of the food chains, with far -reaching effects on the entire ecosystem. This underlines the importance of strengthening our understanding of food chains and our sense of responsibility for your care and protection.