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Questions
Distinguish between a food chain and a food web.
Differentiate between a food chain and a food web.
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Solution
| Sr. No. | Food chain | Food web |
| i. | The food chain is a definite sequence of interactions between producers, consumers, and decomposers (saprophytes). | The Food web is a network of food chains that are interconnected at various levels, forming an intricate web instead of a linear chain. |
| ii. | If any of the intermediate organisms are removed from the chain, it affects the whole food chain. | In the food web, there is more than one alternative of food to most of the organisms; hence, the removal of an organism does not affect the food web directly. |
| iii. | Members of higher trophic levels feed on a single species of organism. | A single organism can consume many sorts of organisms. |
| iv. | In the food chain, energy flow may be easily quantified. | In a food web, calculating energy flow is complicated. |
| v. | Members of the same trophic level compete with one another. | Members of the same as well as distinct trophic levels compete. |
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| In a forest ecosystem, a large population of insect feeds upon a banyan tree. Several small birds feed upon these insects. The small birds are fed upon by big-sized birds. |
- With respect to this ecosystem, draw a pyramid for each biomass and a pyramid of number.
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