In an ecosystem, there are interactions between living things that result in the flow of energy and cycles of matter. Every living thing needs energy and nutrients (food) differently depending on conditions and places. Living things also need soil, air, and sun to support life
For example, humans need plants and animals, and vice versa. The interactions of living things can also be divided into competition or side by side. Living things can also prey on each other. The relationship between eating and being eaten is called food chain.
Definition of Food Chain
The food chain is the order in which living things find the food they need to survive in an ecosystem. A food chain shows the flow of energy and materials from one organism to the next, starting with the producers.
Each level of the food chain in an ecosystem is called a trophic level in the book Integrated Thematic. The trophic levels are divided as follows:
- Producers: Organisms capable of producing their own food substances, i.e. green plants or autotrophs. Producers occupy the first trophic level.
- Consumer I: Organisms occupying the second trophic level are called primary consumers. Primary consumers are usually occupied by herbivores.
- Consumer II: Organisms occupying the third trophic level are called secondary consumers, occupied by meat-eating animals (carnivores) and so on.
- Peak consumer: The organism occupying the highest trophic level is called the apex consumer.
- Decomposers: Decomposers organisms that form the last link in the food chain. They break down dead animals and plants and return essential nutrients to the soil.
The food chain shows the relationship between producers, consumers and decomposers, showing who eats whom with arrows. Arrows are used to show the movement of energy through the food chain.
For example, consider the following picture of the food chain in the rice fields.
Picture of Food Chain and Process of Eating Eaten in Ecosystem (pintar.jatengprov.go.id)
–
From the example of the food chain, there is a process of eating and being eaten in a certain order, namely grass is eaten by grasshoppers, grasshoppers are eaten by frogs, frogs are eaten by snakes and if the snake dies it will be decomposed by fungi, which act as decomposers into nutrients that will be used by plants to grow and develop. develop.
Thus, the food chain can be explained that:
- Rice acts as a producer.
- Grasshoppers as consumers I (Herbivores).
- Frogs as consumers II (carnivores).
- Snakes as top consumers (Carnivores).
- Mushrooms as decomposers.
In the marine food chain, there are specialized producers that are different from the land food chain. These producers are tiny microscopic plants called phytoplankton. Usually zooplankton (small animals in water) will eat phytoplankton then other larger animals will eat zooplankton.
Phytoplankton and zooplankton are a source of food for almost all marine organisms. Sometimes the combination of zooplankton and phytoplankton is referred to as plankton.
Food Web
A food web consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem. Every living thing in an ecosystem is part of several food chains. Each food chain is a pathway for taking in energy and nutrients.
In an ecosystem, it generally has more than one food chain. Green plants are not only eaten by one organism, but are eaten by various primary consumers.
Consider the following picture of a food web.
–
Pictures of Food Webs and the Process of Eating Eaten in Ecosystems (sourcelearning.learning.kemdikbud.go.id)
–
The explanation of the food web is as follows.
- Mustard and hibiscus flower occupy the tropic level 1 as producers.
- Caterpillars, rats, and grasshoppers are secondary consumers or I consumers that eat producers at trophic level II.
- Frogs and sparrows are primary consumers or consumers II that eat secondary consumers at the trophic level III.
- Eagles as top consumers who eat sparrows and frogs.
It can be concluded, from the food web there are 5 food chains, namely:
- Hibiscus, caterpillar, sparrow, eagle
- Mustard, rat, eagle.
- Mustard, grasshopper, frog, eagle.
- Mustard, grasshoppers, sparrows, eagles.
- Mustard, caterpillar, sparrow, eagle
As a result, in an ecosystem there is not only one food chain but many forms of food chains. These chains are interconnected with each other, it is called a food web.
Food Pyramid
The food pyramid is a model that shows the flow of energy from one trophic level to the next along a food chain.
Take a look at the food pyramid below.
–
Picture of the Food Pyramid (pintar.jatengprov.go.id)
–
If the frog in the food pyramid example is removed, what will happen? Chances are the number of grasshoppers will increase because there are no predators.
Likewise, if the number of snakes decreases because there is no food, many grasshoppers will die because the amount of grass cannot meet the food needs of the grasshoppers which are increasing in number.
From the illustration above, an ecosystem will be balanced and sustainable if the number of producers in tropic I is more than the number of consumers I. Likewise, the number of consumers I must be more than consumers II, and so on. This situation is called the food pyramid.
Food Chain in Marine Ecosystem
Most marine ecosystems are bound together through food chains. There are about 700 thousand marine species according to a published study online from Current Biology and coordinate with UNESCO.
–
Picture of Food Chain in Marine Ecosystem (bahanajarkelompok3.blogspot.com)
–
Basically, the food chain in marine ecosystems is not much different from land. The following is an explanation of the food chain in a marine ecosystem.
Level I: Manufacturer
The lowest level in the marine food chain consists of single-celled organisms called phytoplankton. These tiny organisms are microscopic (so small) that they cannot be seen without a microscope.
Billions of phytoplankton live in the upper oceans. They absorb sunlight through photosynthesis, then convert sunlight energy into chemical energy. This chemical energy allows them to survive and grow.
Phytoplankton play a major role in the marine food chain. They are major producers of carbon that all marine animals need to survive. They also produce more than half of the oxygen we breathe on Earth.
Level II: Herbivores/Consumers I/Primary Consumers
The next level of the marine food chain consists of plant eaters (herbivores), they are also called I consumers. Many are microscopic in size called zooplankton. They float across the ocean surface and feed on phytoplankton.
Many other herbivores were big enough for us to see. They come in various sizes, such as the small blue tang fish and tilapia and the larger green turtle. Herbivores eat a large number of marine plants.
Level III: Carnivore/Consumer II/Secondary Consumer
The third level of the food chain consists of a large group of small carnivores. This includes fish, such as sardines, herring and menhaden. Such smaller fish eat a lot of zooplankton. However, they themselves are often eaten. In simple terms, big fish will eat small fish.
Tier IV: Top Predators/Top Consumers
Large carnivores act as top consumers in the marine food chain. Some of the types of animals in this level include sharks, tuna, and dolphins. Others are furry animals, such as pelicans and penguins. There are also mammals such as seals and walruses.
Such is the discussion of land and sea food chains, food nets, and food pyramids.
– .
