What Is a Food Chain?

In an ecosystem there are different types of living species, including the plants animals, birds, insects, reptiles and other species, which all are depended on each other for food and energy. The movement of nutrients and energy between the different living organisms at various trophic levels forms a food chain.

Overall, a food chain explains the chain of series or a continuity of events that occurs within an ecosystem, where a living species eat other organisms, which later becomes prey for some other larger organism.

The food chain also explains about the various feeding pattern or type of relationship involved between each living organisms. Every level in a food chain is known as a trophic level, the continuous stages in a food chain, starts with producers at the bottom, followed by primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers.

Also Refer: Food Web

The food chain is classified into two different types based on the produced energy:

1. Grazing food chain
2. Detritus food chain

What is the Grazing Food Chain?

The type of  food chain in which the energy is gained from photosynthesis is termed as a grazing food chain.  In this food chain the starting point are the producers – plants and the first energy transfer is from plants to herbivores. Here, received energy is at the lowest trophic level. In an aquatic ecosystem, the grazing food chain plays a major role in the transfer of energy flow. Based on the sequence of organisms,  grazing food chain is further classified into two different types :

1. Predator chain -the sequence of organisms generally increases in size.
2. Parasitic chain-the sequence of organisms generally decreases in size.

Examples of Grazing Food Chain

The grazing food chain is a type of food chain, in which the flow of energy is transferred between the autotrophic plants and plant eating animals – herbivores.

For example: 

• Phytoplankton  → Zooplankton → Fishes → Larger fishes 

The phytoplankton is attacked by zooplankton and finally, the zooplankton is attacked by fishes and followed by the larger predators.

• Grasses  → Rabbits  → Wolves→ Larger predators

The grasses are attacked by rabbits and finally, the rabbits are attacked by wolves and followed by the other predators.

Herbs/ small plants/ grass → Deer  → Lion →Larger predators

The small plants or grass is eaten by a deer and the deer is later eaten by a lion and followed by the other predators.

Read more: Grazing food chain

What Is the Detritus Food Chain?

The detritus food chain begins with dead organic materials. The organisms feeding on the dead and decaying matter are referred to as detritivores. These detritivores are eaten by predators. The detritus food chain produces a large amount of energy to the ecosystem. Detritus food chains are found in a variety of places such as the bottom of the ocean, sea, ponds and also in lakes.

Example of Detritus

• Dead organic wastes → Micro organisms → Detritivore organisms

The type of food chain that starts with the dead organic wastes.

Here, the food chain starts with the dead organic wastes. These wastes are consumed by microorganisms like bacteria or fungi. Later, these microscopic organisms are consumed by other detritivore organisms like snails, earthworms and so on.

Read more: Detritus food chains

Difference Between Grazing and Detritus Food Chain

Also Refer: Differences between Autotrophs and Heterotrophs

There are many more differences between grazing and detritus food chains. Stay tuned with BYJU’S Biology for more differences and other Biology related topics.