A pond web is: zooplankton and tadpoles eat phytoplankton…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A pond web is: zooplankton and tadpoles eat phytoplankton. Fish eat zooplankton and tadpoles. A heron eats fish and tadpoles. Nothing eats the heron.
- How many different food chains run from the phytoplankton to the heron?
- Which animal in the web is at two different trophic levels?
- Write the shortest chain that ends at the heron.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
The grazing food chain starts with a green plant. The detritus food chain starts with dead organic matter. On land, most of the energy goes through the detritus chain. In water, the grazing chain is the major route. Joined chains make a food web.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. The eating relations listed above.
Plan. List every path from the producer to the top.
Step 1. (a) The paths are: phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, heron; phytoplankton, tadpole, fish, heron; phytoplankton, tadpole, heron. That is 3 chains.
Step 2. (b) The heron eats a fish, which is at T3, and a tadpole, which is at T2. So the heron is at T4 and at T3. It is at two levels.
Step 3. (c) The shortest chain is phytoplankton, tadpole, heron.
Answer: chains; the heron; phytoplankton, tadpole, heron.
Check. The program below counts the same three paths.
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