Question
Distinguish between: Food chain and Food web.

Answer

Food chainFood web
1. Food chain is the linear sequence of organisms for feeding purpose.1. Food web is interconnections between many small food chains.
2. In food chain the flow of energy is through a single straight pathway from the lower trophic level to the higher trophic level.2. In food web, the energy flow is interconnected through numerous food chains in the ecosystem.
3. In a food chain, members present at higher trophic level feeds on only single type of organisms.3. In a food web, one organism can feed on multiple types of organisms.
4. Energy flow can be easily calculated in food chain.4. Energy flow is difficult to calculate in a food web.
5. In food chain there is increased instability due to increasing number of separate and confined food chains.5. In food web there is increased stability due to the presence of the complex food chains.
6. The whole food chain gets affected even if one group of an organism is disturbed.6. The food web does not get disturbed by the removal of one group of organisms.
7. Member of higher trophic level depends or feed upon the single type of organisms of the lower trophic level.7. The members of higher trophic level depend or feed upon many different types of the organism of the lower trophic level.
8. Food chain consists of only 4-6 trophic levels of different species.8. Food web contains numerous trophic levels and also of different populations of species.
9. Competition is seen in members of same trophic level.9. Competition is seen in members of same as well as different trophic levels.
10. Food chains are of two types: 1. Grazing food chain 2. Detritus food chain.10. In food web there are no types.

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