What is the role of a producer in a food web?
I think the role of a producer in a food web is the same as in a food chain. The difference being that the food web shows a simple concept as a complex network of interactions. The web just shows a more realistic view of how complex the networks are. “Primary producers, or autotrophs, are species capable of producing complex organic substances (essentially “food”) from an energy source and inorganic materials. These organisms are typically photosynthetic plants, bacteria or algae, but in rare cases, like those organisms forming the base of deep-sea vent food webs, can be chemotrophic. Organisms that get their energy by consuming organic substances are called heterotrophs. Heterotrophs include herbivores, which obtain their energy by consuming live plants; carnivores, which obtain energy from consuming live animals; as well as detritivores, scavengers and decomposers, which all consume dead biomass.
