Food chain of the mountain ecosystem
A food chain is a series organized by living beings linked by an alimentary relationship. The animal takes its necessary energy for survival from its food.
At the base of this chain are the producers. They are the terrestrial or aquatic (algae, phytoplankton) vegetation. They make their own organic materials from nutrients, CO2 and from light (photosynthesis).
The animals situated just above the producers are the first level consumers: the herbivores.
They are the prey of the second level consumers: the carnivores.
A carnivore that does not have predators is called the top predator and is situated at the top of the chain.
The arrow signifies "...is eaten by...". A food chain is made up of links that can be a part of other chains as well.
The ensemble of all these chains makes a food network
Note: This animation omits the role of the decomposers. They are the organisms and microorganisms that degrade dead organic materials (waste, dead plants and animals). They provide most of the recycled nutrients from the producers.
In the "Ecosystem" tab, click and slide each living being towards its name. In the "Food Chain" tab, drag an arrow between 2 images meaning "... is eaten by ...".
There are 20 arrows to be placed. Once completed, you will be requested to drag the images in their appropriate category (producer, consumer,...).
