Question

Construct a food web with a minimum of 25 links, man being one of them.

Answer 1

food web (or food cycle) is a natural interconnection of food chains and a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in an ecological community. Another name for food web is consumer-resource system. Ecologists can broadly lump all life forms into one of two categories calledtrophic levels: 1) the autotrophs, and 2) theheterotrophs. To maintain their bodies, grow, develop, and to reproduce, autotrophs produce organic matter from inorganicsubstances, including both minerals andgases such as carbon dioxide. Thesechemical reactions require energy, which mainly comes from the Sun and largely byphotosynthesis, although a very small amount comes from hydrothermal vents and hot springs. A gradient exists between trophic levels running from complete autotrophs that obtain their sole source of carbon from the atmosphere, to mixotrophs (such ascarnivorous plants) that are autotrophic organisms that partially obtain organic matter from sources other than the atmosphere, and complete heterotrophs that must feed to obtain organic matter. The linkages in a food web illustrate the feeding pathways, such as where heterotrophs obtain organic matter by feeding on autotrophs and other heterotrophs. The food web is a simplified illustration of the various methods of feeding that links an ecosystem into a unified system of exchange. There are different kinds of feeding relations that can be roughly divided into herbivory,carnivory, scavenging and parasitism. Some of the organic matter eaten by heterotrophs, such as sugars, provides energy. Autotrophs and heterotrophs come in all sizes, frommicroscopic to many tonnes - fromcyanobacteria to giant redwoods, and fromviruses and bdellovibrio to blue whales.