Food+Chain


 * __Food Chain-__** a series of organisms interrelated in their feeding habits, the smallest being fed upon by a larger one, which in turn feeds a still larger one, etc.

In the food chain we have producers and consumers.


 * __Producers-__** organisms that produce their own food
 * __Consumers-__** organisms that can not make their own food

The consumers rely on the producers for food. Consumers are also called heterotrophs.

The picture below shows the food chain:




 * The Ecological Pyramid** shows that the energy transfer from one level to the next is 10%, however, the transfer of matter and energy from one trophic level to the next is not very efficient. The reason that it is very efficient is because there are certain portions or materials that are not eaten. ( Ex: beaks, shells, bones, etc.)

The Ecological Pyramid is diagrammed in the following way:

In the food chain everything relies on the thing before it, mainly the producers, to survive and create and contribute to the energy that they do.