Trophic chains: examples and description

Food - this is something without which it can not live andno living organism develops. Plants are such living organisms that can independently create food for themselves from almost nothing. Others feed on what was created without their participation.

What is a food chain?

Биосфера огромна и многогранна.It includes a variety of creatures. Both beautiful and terrible. But all these beings are related to each other. Sometimes these connections are invisible, and sometimes the existence of another depends on one species. The most obvious connection between living things is food. Food chains are also called trophic.

Plants are creatures that are capable ofphotosynthesis. This means that if there is carbon dioxide, sun and water, then they can survive. Animals can not do this. Therefore, the overwhelming majority of trophic chains begin with plants.

Trophic chains are different.They are divided into two groups. Those trophic chains that begin with the producer are called pastoral. But there are those that start with waste. For example, with the corpses of animals. Such chains are called detrital.

Among the living organisms produce producers, consumers and decomposers.

Producers

Many trophic chains begin with producers.This is the name of all those organisms that independently produce nutrients for themselves. The most famous producers are green plants that are capable of photosynthesis. But they can also include bacteria-hemotrophs, which can do without even the participation of sunlight.

Consumables

Но не все участники трофических цепей могут to manage with a minimum. Most need for life what was produced by others. Such consumers are called consumers. But among them you can distinguish different types of food groups.

Some animals eat plants. They also fall into trophic chains. The trophic level is not much higher than the plant. In turn, they will also be someone's dinner.

Те, кому для жизни нужно мясо, называются predators. This is a new level. They are forced to go hunting in order to find their livelihood. In order to get food, they must use all their tricks to hunt down and catch the victim. Each predator has a whole list of preferences. This helps different species survive even in the most difficult times. This is especially important now, because many species are on the verge of extinction.

Reedents

The trophic chains include suchunusual organisms, like decomposers. These are the living beings who are called "gravediggers of nature". They help waste and corpses decompose into simpler components. Reducents feed on the fact that no one else is interested.

The corpse or waste, decomposed by the help of a decomposer, is called detritus. Therefore, the food chain, which begins so unusually, is detrital.

There are a lot of different decomposers. Among them are mushrooms, bacteria, saprophagous, necrophagous and coprophagous.

Saprophages are those decomposers that feed oncorpses of other living beings. Necrophages also feed on corpses and carrion. Coprophagous feed on organic waste of living beings. All these organisms help to preserve purity in nature, to give space for life and growth to new living organisms. Despite the fact that some people consider these living things to be disgusting, it is impossible to imagine a healthy biosphere without them.

Examples of trophic chains

It is not easy to study the trophic chains.Examples will help to understand who and who eats. The most common is the pasture trophic chain. It starts with a plant. So, you can start with cereals. They are included in the list of predilections of hares. Hare - are consumers of the first order. Hares eat wolves. Wolves are second-class consumers.

Mice also love cereals.Mice in this trophic chain become consumers of the first order. Sometimes mice become victims of hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are second-class consumers. They also can not be calm for their lives, because they are foxes hunting. The latter will become consumers of the third order.

Trophic chains can also be found in water.You can start with phytoplankton, which is able to feed itself. But it is fed by zooplankton. Zooplankton is the food of small fish. And they, in turn, become a favorite pike delicacy. But she too can become someone's food.

Самые длинные трофические цепи можно найти в the ocean. In such chains there are even consumers of the fifth and sixth order. Everyone can do a little research. It is very interesting and allows you to better understand the world around you.

Detritic trophic chains do not includemany participants. Usually they include only a waste or a corpse and the creature that feeds on them. The most famous decomposers are bacteria and fungi.

Food Networks

Trophic chains are not able to fully reflectall life of the biosphere. After all, if we assume that all hares are extinct, wolves and foxes will not die. They will simply feed on other animals, although the number of these predators will decrease. This natural balance is maintained by trophic networks.

The same hare may eat differentplants. He can eat cereals, oats, lichen, clover, and more. A wolf can also eat different animals that differ from each other even in size. Trophic chains and nets help nature to establish such a balance so that living beings can survive the event that some species disappears from the face of the Earth.

Food networks are sometimes very, very confused.It is not easy to figure out how many animals want to eat a plant and from what individuals a small animal hides. You can make a large number of different food networks. They are especially rich where a large number of living beings side by side.

The world surrounding man keeps many mysteries andinteresting moments. One of them are trophic chains and nets. The carefully thought-out nature of the food chain helps a wide variety of plants and animals to coexist in relative peace with each other, find food for themselves and their young, and also clean their habitat from what has become obsolete.