Compare Food Chains and Food Webs?

Bryan Avinger: food chain:The simplest representation of energy in a community. At the base is energy stored in plants, which are eaten by small organisms, which in turn are eaten by progressively larger organisms; the food chain is an oversimplification in that most animals do not eat only one type of organism. ------------------ food web:the interconnected feeding relationships in an ecosystem. These relationships can be complex; some organisms may feed on more than one trophic level, or changes may occur depending on a species' life history stages or the availability of food. -------------------------------- Difference between food chain and food web: FOOD CHAINS FOLLOW A SINGLE PATH AS ANIMALS EAT EACH OTHER. EXAMPLE: GRASS (is eaten by a) GRASSHOPPER (which is eaten by) a FROG (which is eaten by a) SNAKE (which is eaten by a) HAWK FOOD WEBS SHOW HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE INTERCONNECTED BY DIFFERENT PATHS. EXAMPLE: TREES produce acorns which act as food for many ! MICE and INSECTS. Because there are many MICE, the WEASELS, SNAKES, and RACOONS, have food. The insects in the acorns also attract BIRDS, SKUNKS, and OPOSSUMS. With the SKUNKS, OPPOSUMS, WEASELS and MICE around, HAWKS, FOXES, and OWLS can find food. They are all connected! FOOD WEBS show how plants and animals are connected in many ways to help them all survive. FOOD CHAINS follow just one path as animals find food....Show more