CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL SRINIVASPURI NEW DELHI

TOPIC: CH: OUR ENVIRONMENT

SUBTOPIC: Food Chain and Food Web

Food Chain: The sequence of living organisms in a community in which one organism consumes another organism to transfer
food energy is called a food chain.

● A food chain is unidirectional where transfer of energy takes place in only one direction.
● Food chain is a sequential process which represents “who eats whom”.
● Food chain refers to an arrangement of different biotic groups in a sequence of energy transfer.
These biotic groups are producer herbivores, carnivores.
For example, T1(Grass) → T2(Deer) → T3(Lion)
● The series of organisms take part at various biotic levels to form a food chain.
● Each step of the food chain forms a trophic level.
● The producers (green plants) are at the first trophic level.
● Primary consumers (herbivores) are at the second trophic level.
● Secondary consumers (small carnivores) constitute the third trophic level.
● Tertiary consumers (larger carnivores) form the fourth trophic level.
● Producers have the greatest number of individuals
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Examples of food chains-

Grass is eaten by insects and frogs eat the insects which in turn are eaten by the snakes and eagleseat the snakes.

Flow of energy takes place from one component of the food chain to another.
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plant --> dear --> lion

MARINE FOOD CHAINS

Phytoplankton Phytoplankton Phytoplankton

Zooplanktons Zooplankton Zooplankton

Small crustaceans Small fish Fish

Predator insect Large fish Crane

Small fish Shark Hawk.

Large fish

Crocodile
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● The autotrophs capture 1% of energy present in sunlight and convert it into chemical energy, the
● chemical energy then flows to heterotrophs and decomposers.
● When green plants are consumed by the primary consumers a great amount of energy is lost as heat
● to the environment and rest of the energy is used up by the body of consumers for digestion, growth, reproduction.
● An average of 10% of food is turned into its own body which is again consumed by the secondary consumers.
● At the fourth trophic level very less amount of usable energy remains as the energy which flows from one level to
another is very little.
● Ten percent law: Ten percent law states that only 10 percent of the energy entering a particular trophic level of
organisms is available for transfer to the next higher trophic level.

For example, Suppose 1000 J of solar energy is received by green plants, then only 1% of solar energy available on earth is

utilized by plants. So only 10 J (1% of 1000 J) is trapped by plants and the rest 990 J of energy is lost to the environment.

So, plants utilize only 10 J of energy. Next, only 10% of the 10 J energy of the plant, that is, 1 J, is available to the herbivore

animal while 9 J is lost to the environment. Again, just 10% of the 1 J of energy of herbivore animals is utilized by carnivore

animals. Thus, carnivore animals have only 0.1 J of energy while 0.9 J is lost to the environment.
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All processes in this world, whether living or nonliving, need energy. Living organisms are capable of producing energy or getting
it through predation. They need this energy to maintain cells and tissues. It is also required for supporting voluntary and
involuntary actions of the human body and other multiple processes within the body like reproduction, cell division, metabolism,
digestion, circulation, excretion, and much more.
The ultimate source of energy on Earth is the Sun. No energy can be produced without the sun. All
living beings, especially plants, capture solar energy and utilise it for their food production. This process is called photosynthesiS

What is Food Web?

There are unique interactions and relationships which are
involved in the transportation of energy.
The energy, once produced and captured, is distributed
throughout the various living organisms.
This transfer of energy amongst organisms lying in interlinked
relationships in terms of food is
termed as the food web.
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BIOMAGNIFICATION

● Chemicals may enter our bodies through food chains.

● Pesticides used to protect the crop from pests are washed away in the water bodies or into the soil.
● Plants and aquatic animals absorb the chemicals from soil and water bodies respectively which then accumulate in the
body of tertiary consumers.
● Human beings occupy the top trophic level hence the maximum amount of chemicals accumulates in the body of human
beings.
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Biomagnification or biological magnification is the process of accumulation of certain chemicals in living organisms to a
concentration higher than that occurring in the inorganic, non-living environment.”
These substances are taken up by the organisms through the food they consume. When the organisms in the higher food chain
feed on the organisms in the lower food chain containing these toxins, these toxins get accumulated in the higher organisms.
Let us have a look at the causes and consequences of biomagnification.

Causes of Biomagnification
Following are the major causes of biomagnification:
1. Agriculture The agricultural pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers and fungicides are very toxic and are released into the
soil, rivers, lakes, and seas. These substances contain small amounts of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic,copper,
lead and cadmium. These cause health issues in aquatic organisms and humans.
2. Organic Contaminants-Manures and biosolids are processed industrially and contain contaminants like
pharmaceuticals and personal care products. These substances have an adverse impact on the health of humans, animals,
and wildlife.
3. Industrial Activities- The industries and factories release toxic substances that are released into the soil, lakes,
oceans, and rivers. The gaseous emissions pollute the environment which enters into the food chain leading to
biomagnification.
4. Mining Activities in the Ocean-Mining activities are carried out in the deep sea to extract metal like zinc, aluminium,
cobalt, silver and gold. The mining process generates a large amount of sulphide and selenium deposits in water and
destroys the oceans and coastal regions. The level of toxicity has increased. These toxic substances are absorbed by the
aquatic organisms higher in the food chain.

Effects of Biomagnification
Following are the effects of biomagnification on living organisms and the environment:
1. Impact on Human Health - Biomagnification makes humans more prone to cancer, kidney problems, liver failure,
birth defects, respiratory disorders, and heart diseases.
2. Effects on Reproduction and Development of Marine Creatures- The toxic chemicals accumulate in the
important organs of aquatic organisms that affect their reproduction and development processes. For eg., the shells of
the eggs of the sea-birds are very thin that might get crushed by the birds themselves during incubation. Selenium and
mercury destroy the reproductive organs of aquatic creatures.
3. Destruction of Coral Reefs- Cyanide that is used in leaching gold and fishing is the main cause of the destruction of
coral reefs. Coral reefs are the dwelling and feeding grounds for many sea creatures. Their destruction affects the lives of
many aquatic animals.
4. Disruption of Food Chain- The chemicals and toxins which are released into the water bodies disrupt the food chain.
The small organisms absorb the toxins which are eaten up by larger animals. These toxins, thus, get accumulated in the
higher level of organisms.
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LET’S REVIEW
Q1. What will happen if all the deer are killed in the following food chain?
Grass--------------›Deer----------- ›Lion
Q2. Why is flow of energy across a food chain unidirectional?
THE FLOW OF ENERGY IS UNIDIRECTIONAL BECAUSE SOME AMOUNT OF ENERGY IS LOST IN THE
FORM OF HEAT AT EACH TROPHIC LEVEL TO MAINTAIN HOMEOSTASIS. THUS, EACH SUCCESSIVE
TROPHIC LEVEL RECEIVES LESS AMOUNT OF ENERGY AS COMPARED TO THE PRECEDING TROPHIC
EVEL
Q3. In the following food chain, grass provides 4000J of energy to the grasshopper. How much energy will be
available to snakes and frogs?
Grass, Grasshopper, Frogs, Snakes
Q4. Why is the number of steps in a food chain restricted to generally 4 or 5?
Q5. In the following food chain, grass provides 4000J of energy to the grasshopper. How much energy will be
available to snakes and frogs?
Grass, Grasshopper, Frogs, Snakes
Q6. Why do all food chains begin with plants and have a limited number of trophic levels?