Trophic chains: examples and description

Food is something without which no living organism can live and develop. 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 trophic chain?

The biosphere is huge and multifaceted. 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 link between living things is food. Food chains are also called trophic.

Plants are creatures that are capable of photosynthesis. 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

But not all participants in food chains can do without 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.

Those who need meat for life are called 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 also include such unusual organisms as 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 fungi, bacteria, saprophagous, necrophagous and coprophagous.

Saprophages are those decomposers that feed on the corpses 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 a place 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 feeds and who. The most common is the pasture trophic chain. It starts with a plant. So, you can start with cereals. They are on the list of hare attachments. 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. Jerzy - 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 independently. 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.

The longest trophic chains can be found in 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.

Detrital trophic chains do not include so many participants. Usually in their composition - only a retreat or corpse and the creature that feeds on them. The most known decomposers are bacteria and fungi.

Trophic networks

The trophic chains are not capable of completely reflecting the entire life of the biosphere. After all, if you admit that all the hares have become extinct, wolves and foxes will not perish. They will simply eat other animals, although the number of these predators will decrease. Such a natural balance is maintained by trophic networks.

One and the same hare can eat different plants. He can eat cereals, oats, lichen, clover and much more. The wolf can also eat different animals, which differ from each other even in size. Trophic chains and networks help nature to establish a balance so that living things can survive the event if some species disappears from the face of the Earth.

Sometimes the trophic networks are very, very confused. It is not easy to understand how many animals wish to eat a plant and from which individuals hide a small animal. You can make a large number of different food webs. Especially they are rich in places where a large number of living beings side by side.

The world surrounding a person, keeps many riddles and interesting moments. One of them are trophic chains and nets. Thoroughly thought-out food chains help a variety of plants and animals co-exist in a relative world with each other, find food for themselves and their young, and also cleanse their habitat from what has become obsolete.