Final answer:
A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms, while a food web is a more complex network of interconnected food chains.
Step-by-step explanation:
A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms that shows how energy and nutrients are transferred from one organism to another. It starts with a producer (usually a plant) and ends with a tertiary consumer. For example, a simple food chain in a forest ecosystem can be represented as follows:
Grass -> Rabbit -> Fox
In contrast, a food web is a more complex network of interconnected food chains, showing the feeding relationships between various organisms in an ecosystem. It takes into account that multiple organisms can serve as both predators and prey. An example of a food web in a pond ecosystem can be:
- Plants -> Zooplankton -> Insects -> Small Fish -> Large Fish
- Plants -> Tadpoles -> Frogs -> Snakes
- Insects -> Spiders
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