Food Chain is the sequence of populations of an ecosystem which allows food and energy to go through it in a specified direction. Those on the lower end of chain become food for the ones who are on upper end. The one who is at top of the food chain is not consumed by any. We also call the food chain as a predator food chain.
A food chain consists of producers, consumers and decomposers. Though decomposers are normally omitted but they also play a very vital role in food chain. We can divide consumers into various orders like the first, second, tertiary and the fourth order. The autotrophs also known as producers make food by the process of photosynthesis from inorganic materials. This food is not only consumed by them but also by many other organisms. They absorb energy from sun, convert it into chemical energy and then release oxygen which is used by other organisms as well. During respiration energy is released by transducers as they convert one form of energy to another. The organic compounds formed, help in building of bodies and releasing energy.
The herbivore animals include rabbit, mouse, deer and buffalo etc. Apart from these, few of these are also present in the aquatic areas and include the mollusks, crustaceans and protozoan. The primary carnivore includes snakes, frog, fish, jackal, birds and wild cat. Apart from these, we have few of the organisms called third order consumers (tertiary consumers) which feed on the primary carnivore. It includes tiger, lion, owl and fish. There are few carnivores which are not consumed by any other organism and thus they are at top of the food chain, example Lion. These are also known as secondary carnivores. They act as a food for the tertiary carnivore. There are certain carnivores which cannot become food for the other organism. They occur at the top of food chain. It includes the lion. The food chain ends at the herbivore animals. The food chains occur in the land as well as in the water. The pond is the most common place of their residence in water. In the land the grass is eaten by the grasshopper. The grasshopper is eaten by the frog and the frog is eaten by the snake. Ultimately, the snake is eaten by the peacock. The vegetation is eaten by the insect. The insect is eaten by the predator insect and the predator insect is eaten by the insectivorous bird. Ultimately, the insectivorous bird is eaten by the hawk. The vegetation is eaten by the rabbit. The rabbit is eaten by the fox and the fox is eaten by the wolf. Ultimately, the wolf is eaten by the tiger. In the aquatic areas the food chain consists of different organisms. The phytoplankton is eaten by the zooplankton. The zooplankton is eaten by the small crustaceans. The small crustaceans are eaten by the predator insects. The predator insects are eaten by the small fish. The small fish are eaten by the large fish. This is followed by the crocodile. In the other aquatic food chain, the phytoplankton is eaten by the zooplankton. The zooplankton is eaten by the small crustaceans. The small crustaceans are eaten by the predator insects. The predator insects are eaten by the small fish. The small fish are eaten by the large fish. This is followed by the kingfisher. The aquatic food chains are quite similar.
