What is a Food Chain?

A food chain is the path by which energy

passes from one living thing to another.
A food chain shows how each living
thing gets its food.
Each link in this chain is food for the
next link.
grasshopper
sun
plant
frog
eagle
Whats in a Food Chain?
Producers

Consumers

Decomposers
1. Producers
Producers make
their own food
Green plants use
energy from the
sun to make food
Producers are on
the bottom of the
food chain
2. Consumers
Consumers hunt, gather,
and store food because they
cannot make their own.
Three Types of Consumers
Herbivores

Carnivores

Omnivores
2.1. Herbivores
Animals who eat plants
such as:
grasshoppers
rabbits
squirrels
deer
pandas
2.2. Carnivores
Animals who only eat other
animals such as:
tigers
lions
hawks
wolves
cougars
2.3. Omnivores
Animals who
eat both plants
and animals
such as:
humans
bears

3. Decomposers
Microorganisms that are able to break
down large molecules into smaller parts
Decomposers return the nutrients that are
in a living thing to the soil
ORDER OF FOOD CHAIN
PRODUCERS
PRIMARY CONSUMERS
SECONDARY CONSUMERS
TERTIARY CONSUMERS
PLANTS
HERBIVORE
DEER, BUNNY
CARNIVORES
WOLVES, SNAKES
CARNIVORES
LIONS, EAGLES
Categories in food chain
Types of Food Chains
Aquatic- Water-
related food
chains with sea
plants and
animals


Terrestrial- Land-
related food
chains with land
plants and
animals
Predator & Prey
Predator- An animal that
captures and eats other
animals

Prey- The animal that is
captured and eaten
Can you make a food chain?


First Then After that Finally
Plants are producers: they produce energy.

First some animal eat plants to get energy: they are
first-level consumers.

Then some animal and birds eat other animals
alive or dead: they are second or third-level
consumers.

After that some organisms consume dead plants
and animals. They are decomposers.

Finally this food returns to the earth. The cycle
begins again.