FOOD WEB

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

BY :

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What is a “FOOD WEB” ?

Food web is defined as ‘A network of food

chains which are interconnected at various tropic
levels, so as to form a number of feeding connections
amongst different organisms of a biotic community’.
• Also known as consumer-resource system.
• It is a graphical description of feeding relationships
among species in an ecological community. It is also a
mean of showing how energy and materials flow
through
a community of species as a result of these feeding
relationships.
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Types of FOOD WEB representation
:

Topological
webs

Interactcion
Flow webs
webs

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TOPOLOGICAL WEB’S :

• Early food webs were topological.

•They simply indicate a feeding relationship.
•Suppose individuals of species X eat 10,000
individuals of species Y, and one X is seen eating one
individual of species Q.
•A topological web then shows an arrow from Y to X,
and an arrow from Q to X. This makes it look as though
both prey are equally important to X. But they’re not!

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FLOW WEB’S :

•Bio energetic webs, or flow webs, include information

on the strength of the feeding interaction. This can be
done in one of two ways:
•Vary the size of the arrow. Thicker arrows represent a
larger percentage of the diet (interactions where more
prey are eaten or where more energy flows upward).
•The amount of energy moving between nodes next to
the arrow.

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INTERACTION WEB’S :

•An interaction web is similar to a topological web, but

instead of showing the movement of energy or .
materials, the arrows show how one group influences
another.
•In interaction food web models, every link has two
direct effects.
•One of the resource on the consumer and one of the
consumer on the resource.
•The effect of the resource on the consumer is positive,
(the consumer gets to eat) and the effect on the
resource by the consumer is negative (it is eaten).
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Different FOOD WEB’S :

SOIL food AQUATIC

webs food webs

Food web in
FOREST

Food web of In
GRASSLAN TERRESTIAL
D & ACQUATIC
ECOSYSTEM 9
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SOIL FOOD WEB :
•The soil food web is the community of organisms living
all or part of their lives in the soil.
•It describes a complex living system in the soil and
how
it interacts with the environment, plants, and animals.
•The soil food web is similar to the food chain, except
that the typical food chain is linear, while the soil food
web shows everything that can eat or be eaten in a
cyclical relationship.
•Soil is composed of two parts:
•Minerals, which make up nonliving portion of the soil.
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SOIL FOOD WEB :
•Minute creatures, also called soil biota, which bring the
soil to life. Soil biota come in many forms. Some help
to build healthy soil and support healthy plants, and
these are considered beneficial.
•Others can cause many problems and are considered
pathogens.

CLITTERS OF SOIL FOOD WEB :

Earthworm
Bacteria
s
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AQUATIC FOOD WEB :
•Food chain which occurs in aquatic water is called
aquatic food chain.
•Example :
Small
Algae Protozoa
insects

Small Large
fishes aquatic
insects
Large
fishes
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AQUATIC FOOD WEB :
•A balanced food web is essential to any marine or
fresh
water system, and can be an indicator of habitat
quality.
•Planktonic algae are the foundation of aquatic food
webs.
•The size & diversity of the planktonic algae community
determines the diversity of zooplankton community
that can be supported as well as small fish community.
•The main function of Aquatic food chain is that:
-It depicts the structure of the living components of
hydrosphere.
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-It transfers energy and materials.
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Significance of FOOD WEB :
•Food webs distinguish levels of producers and
consumers by identifying and defining the importance
of
animal relationships and food sources, beginning with
primary producers such as plants, insects and
herbivores.
•Food webs are important tools in understanding that
plants are the foundation of all ecosystems and food
chains, sustaining life by providing nourishment and
oxygen needed for survival and reproduction.
•In short the food web provide stability to the
ecosystem.
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Effects of FOOD WEB :
•Man is disturbing the food chain and making it short.
•The shortening of food chain due to man’s activities
leads to imbalance in the functioning of an ecosystem
and ultimately the biosphere.

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THANK YOU