What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms that shows the transfer of energy.

A food chain is a simple linear sequence of organisms that shows the transfer of energy from one organism to another. It starts with a producer, which is usually a plant, and ends with a top predator. For example, a food chain in a grassland ecosystem could be: grass → grasshopper → mouse → snake → hawk. Each organism in the chain is dependent on the one before it for energy. If one organism is removed from the chain, it can have a ripple effect on the entire ecosystem.

A food web, on the other hand, is a more complex representation of the feeding relationships in an ecosystem. It shows the interconnectedness of different food chains within an ecosystem. In a food web, each organism can be a part of multiple food chains. For example, a grassland food web could include a variety of producers, such as grasses, shrubs, and trees, as well as herbivores like rabbits and deer, and predators like foxes and coyotes. Each organism in the web is dependent on other organisms for energy, and the removal of one species can have a cascading effect on the entire ecosystem.

In summary, a food chain is a simple linear sequence of organisms that shows the transfer of energy, while a food web is a more complex representation of the feeding relationships in an ecosystem that shows the interconnectedness of different food chains.