Why is the food web important?
A food web depicts which organisms eat which organisms in an ecosystem. This allows the transfer of energy and nutrients between organisms to be followed and is a more complete description than a linear food chain.Nutrient CyclingFood webs transfer nutrients through different parts of the ecosystem. Many organisms are unable to acquire their nutrients from inorganic sources with the notable exception of primary producers.Energy InputPrimary producers bring energy into the food web from sunlight or other sources. This energy is then distributed to other organisms in the food web. Each organism uses this energy for life processes resulting in loss of energy available to the ecosystem.Trophic LevelsOrganisms can be classified according to the role they play in a food web. These categories include producers, grazers, predators and decomposers.ProducersProducers create organic molecules from inorganic nutrients. They also capture energy that is incorporated into these organic molecules.Graz
