Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web
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The Food Chains and Food Webs
The green plants are the primary producers because they prepare their own food which is the main source of food energy for all types of organisms in the biosphere. Carbon dioxide is taken by plants from the atmosphere through their leaves in the daytime and inorganic matter and water are taken by the roots from the soils. Plants convert water and carbon dioxide into starch and sugar with the help of sunlight. The process is known as photosynthesis.
Thus the green plants are Primary Producers. Some animals that depend on plants for their food are called herbivores. The animals that take their food from animals are known as carnivores. Some animals depend on both; plants and animals for their food and are termed omnivores. (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
In the ecosystem, the feeding process takes place in hierarchical order. The food energy that passes from one group of an organism to another group is called the Trophic Level. (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
The chain of transformation of food energy in the ecosystem from one group of organisms to the other group through a series of steps or levels is called the food chain. The transfer of food energy from one group of organisms to the other group is called Trophic Level or Step. The four trophic levels of a food chain have been identified.
The linear food chain and energy flow have been explained in four trophic levels in the following paragraphs:
First Step of Food Chain. The base of the food chain in the primary producers has known the first level of trophic. The green plants produce their food through the process of photosynthesis with help of sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and inorganic salts and consume the produced food energy to form their tissues and grow. This level is the source of food for all other organisms in the food chain
Second Step of Food Chain. The organism does not produce their food pm themselves but depends on the primary producer of the first level for their food is known as the second level of the trophic or second step of the food chain. The organisms or animals are called primary consumers (Vegetarians). (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
They basically depend on plants for their food, e.g., sheep, cows, goats, deers, and rabbits. Such animals are known as Herbivores. The food energy passed on from primary producers to primary consumers is the second level of the food chain The animals are known as herbivores. (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
Third Step of Food Chain. The trophic level where energy is transferred from primary consumers to secondary consumers is called the third level of the food chain, Some animals depend on other animals, and are known as secondary consumers.
Of carnivores, because they depend on primary consumers or herbivores group of the second level, e.g., lions, leopards, beers, etc. Carnivores are land animals, soil animals, and aquatic animals.
Fourth Steps of Food Chain. The animals which take food either directly or indirectly from primary producers and primary and secondary consumers are known omnivores. Man is the most important member of the fourth level because a man takes food and fuel from the green plants and primary and secondary consumers. Decomposers also take their energy from all these levels,
A simple food chain is formed with the help of four steps. It is the sequence of energy transfer from lower levels to higher levels. This chain may be summarized as follows:
- Primary producers → Primary consumers → Secondary consumers → Higher secondary consumers.
- Plants Herbivores animals → Carnivores animals → Omnivores animals.
- The grass is eaten by sheep, cows, and goats (primary consumers) → Seep, and goats are eaten by Tigers, and Lion (secondary consumers). (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
- Vegetation Vegetarian food Non-vegetarian food → all the earlier food.
The food chain does not remain simple and linear in a natural ecosystem, sometimes it becomes complicated by several interconnected overlapping good chains. This happens when a greater number of species feed on many kinds of prey. The complicated food chain is known as Food Web. The complicated food web is in a polar or arctic ecosystem was there are several inter-connected food chains.
- Man eats carnivores which feed on grass.
- Man eats whales which eat crustaceans that feed on diatoms.
- Man eats polar beer which feeds on crustaceans in diatoms.
- Man eats wolf and fox which eat hares which feed on grass.
- Man eats hares which feed on grasses.
All plants are not the primary producer but some of the plants are also primary consumers called parasites and secondary consumers are known as hyperparasites. (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
Solar energy passes through the hierarchy of levels of the food chain and the food web ultimately becomes output from the ecosystem as energy is lost through respiration from each level. (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
Thus, the food chain and food web require sunlight or solar energy as a basic input that enters the ecosystem. The plants are the primary producers which require sunlight, water, and minerals for preparing their own foods. Thus, the food chain involves solar energy flow and biogeochemical cycle to maintain ecology balance. A brief description of energy flow and biogeochemical cycles has been given in the following paragraphs:
[1] Solar Energy Flow
The plants prepare their food in sunlight with photosynthesis. It requires one percent solar radiation which is received on Earth. This solar energy passes through the hierarchy of levels of a food chain and food web. Solar energy is a basic input and becomes output through respiration from each level of the food chain. The process of formation of organic tissue which indicates the transformation of solar energy into food energy is known as biosynthesis.
The process of decomposition of organic matter which refers to the release of nutrients and food energy in the form of heat is called biodegradation. The transfer of organic molecules in the ecosystem is unidirectional or non-cycle which can not be recessed.
The solar energy is received by green plants and it is used in photosynthesis to prepare food at the level first. The solar energy is transformed into organic tissues, It is the source of energy directly to the vegetarian animals of the second level which are the primary consumers. The plant energy is transferred to plant-eating animals known as herbivores. The organic tissues are formed among herbivores by eating plants. (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
The stored energy in the bodies of herbivores now becomes the source of energy for carnivores animals at the third level of the food chain. Some part of chemical energy is lost through respiration from herbivores at the second level of the food chain. The animals consume energy for their movement forgetting food from green plants. The carnivores eat herbivores at the third level of the food chain, thus some part of potential energy is herbivores. Some part of the energy is released by herbivores as wastes and their dead bodies decompose in the soil. (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
The stored energy in the bodies of carnivores non become the storehouse of energy for omnivores which eat both plants and animals, man is the most important example of omnivores at the fourth level of the food chain. The animal of the fourth level takes energy from both primary producers (plants) and herbivores (animals), i.e., the first and second levels of the food chain. Some part of the energy is released by the respiration of omnivores, their dead bodies are decomposed in the soil by the decomposers. The omnivores take their food directly from play and herbivores and also form carnivores. Thus, there are three ways of flow follow:
First Path. The chemical energy flows in a hierarchical order, i.e., I level – Il level III level – IV level.
Second Path. The chemical energy flows in a bypass manner, 1.e., I level → IV level or II levels to IV level.
The second way of the flow of energy is that animals of all levels release energy by respiration as heat which is lost in the atmosphere as output that can not be recessed. (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
The third way of transfer of chemical energy from dead bodies of animals and waste of plants is decomposed in the soil by the decomposers at all levels of the food chain. The chemical energy which is transferred by decomposers can be recessed by plants. Thus, there is a cycle of the flow of chemical energy. (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
[2] Biogeochemical
Cycles in Food Chains. The biogeochemical cycles include the intake of inorganic elements by plants through their roots in solution from the soils where these inorganic elements are stored. The nutrients are taken up by plants through the process of osmosis and prepare their own food. The chemical energy is transferred to the higher levels along the food chains and food webs through the flow of energy. The nutrients are used and assimilated in developing plant tissues and their bodies. When these are transferred and assimilated among different animals of different levels of the food chain or food webs are known as organic matter.
There are three cycles through which organic elements flow in a food chain or food web:
- The waste materials released by plants and animals such as leaves, dung, etc., are decomposed by bacteria decomposers and are again changed into inorganic elements which are again used by plants through the process of osmosis. It is the first cycle of inorganic matter to organic matter and organic matter into the inorganic matter in a food chain.
- The dead bodies of animals and plants are decomposed by the bacteria on into soil as inorganic matter. The organic materials are converted into inorganic materials in the soil. It is the second cycle of biogeochemical
- In the process of deforestation and burning of vegetation by lightning or accidental forest fire, the organic material is released into the atmosphere and again falls down on the ground surface, it becomes a soluble inorganic form of the element to the soil which can be reused by plants. (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
[3] The Carbon Cycle in Food Chains and Food Webs
The carbon dioxide of the atmosphere is used in the biological cycles in the food chain through the process of photosynthesis of green plants. The carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen are combined by green plants with the help of sunlight, and thus organic compounds and formed by the processes of osmosis and photosynthesis of green plants.
Thus, carbon dioxide assimilated by green plants is stored in the form of body tissues. The green plants produce carbohydrates as chemical energy which is consumed by herbivorous animals at the second level of the food chain and by omnivorous animals at the fourth level. The animals release carbon dioxide during respiration. The fallen leaf, animal, carbon, and carbon dioxide returned to the atmosphere. The decomposers release carbon in the gaseous through respiration and dead organic tissues.
[4] The Oxygen Cycle in Food Chain
Oxygen is very essential for living organisms because they cannot survive without oxygen and plays a significant role in the biosphere. It is a very active gas because it combines with the majority of the elements in the biosphere. It is produced through the process of photosynthesis by the green plants of different ecosystems and enters the atmosphere. The atmospheric oxygen is used by plants and animals during the process of respiration. The process of respiration among green plants takes place during nighttime.
Thus, the oxygen cycle includes the input of oxygen to the atmosphere by the photosynthesis of green plants of different ecosystems and enters into the atmosphere. The atmosphere oxygen is used by plants and animals during the process of respiration. The process of respiration among green plants takes place during nighttime. Thus, the oxygen cycle includes the input of oxygen to the atmosphere by the photosynthesis of green plants and the output of oxygen to the atmosphere through the respiration of plants and animals in the food chain and food web. (Bed 2nd Year What do you mean by Food Chain and Food Web)
[5] The Water Cycle in Food Chain
Water oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon are the most essential elements for the survival of living organisms-plants and animals. These elements constitute 90 percent of the organic matter in the biosphere. Hydrogen in the form of water and oxygen together constitute 80.5% of the total weight of all living organisms. Water is the combination of hydrogen and oxygen which enters the biosphere and goes out of the biosphere in the form of moisture mainly in liquid form. The food involves the major part of water. The hydrogen cycle also represents the water cycle in the food chain and food webs. The water cycle is regulated by solar energy.
[6] The Phosphorous Cycle in Food Chain
Phosphorous is the most important second-level substance in the biosphere which is most essential for the growth and development of organisms. It has a very limited gaseous phase and has the main phase in the biogeochemical cycle.
The plants take up phosphorous in the form of inorganic phosphate from the soils through their roots by the process of root osmosis. The inorganic phosphates are converted into organic forms in the plants which are circulated in the food chain through different levels.
Thus, the phosphate is returned back to the soils when dead organisms and their wastes are decomposed by soil organisms. The organic compounds of phosphate are returned to the soils when these are again converted into mineral forms. This cycle is completed after a long time. The phosphorus cycle is slow and gradual.