Science

Food webs.

Definition

A complex network of interconnected food chains showing the feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem. Food webs illustrate how energy and nutrients flow through multiple pathways, making ecosystems more stable than simple food chains.

Examples

Real-world.

  • 1 An ocean food web connecting phytoplankton to fish, seals, and sharks through multiple paths
  • 2 A grassland web where mice are eaten by both snakes and hawks
  • 3 Removing a keystone predator like wolves causing cascading effects through the web
Related terms

Tangled up with.

Energy flow → Ecosystems → Community ecology → Biodiversity →
Studied in

2 units use this concept.

AP Environmental Science The Living World: Ecosystems → Biology Ecology and Ecosystems →