FOOD WEBS

Exercise #1: Food Web for Tall-Grass Prairie Ecosystem

Using a separate piece of paper (provided by instructor) construct a Food Web for the Ecosystem described below. Remember that the arrows indicate the direction of energy flow, from the eaten to the eater.

Producers: Blue Stem Grass, Prairie Cornflower

Decomposers: Bacteria and Fungi

Which species are herbivores?

Which species are carnivores?

Which species are omnivores?

Which species is the top carnivore (at highest trophic level) for this ecosystem?

Exercise #2: Food Web for Temperate Deciduous Forest Ecosystem

Using the paper provided, construct a Food Web for the Ecosystem described below. Remember that the arrows indicate the direction of energy flow, from the eaten to the eater.

Producers: White Oak, Shagbark Hickory, Mountain Winterberry

Decomposers: Bacteria and Fungi

In the Table above, mark each species of consumer with
H (herbivore), O (omnivore), or C (carnivore).

Which species is the top carnivore (at highest trophic level) for this ecosystem?

Which species have no apparent predators in this ecosystem?

For species without predators, what keeps their population from becoming too large?

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