Q1
A food chain always starts with:
Aa producer (plant)
Ba top predator
Ca decomposer
Da consumer
CBSEClass 8 (CBSE)ScienceCh 12 · Topic 2
Food Chains and Food Webs
Learning how energy flows through an ecosystem via feeding relationships.
Core concept
Energy is lost at each step of a food chain, mainly as heat through the processes of life (like movement and respiration), so only about 10% of energy is passed from one trophic (feeding) level to the next — this is why food chains rarely extend beyond four or five levels, since there isn't enough energy left to support further levels. This energy loss also explains why there are usually many more producers than top predators in any given ecosystem, forming a pattern often shown as an energy pyramid.
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CBSE class 8 food chains and food webs
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• A food chain shows a linear flow of energy: producer → primary consumer → secondary consumer → etc.
• A food web is an interconnected network of multiple overlapping food chains.
• Only about 10% of energy transfers from one trophic level to the next.
• This energy loss explains why food chains rarely have more than 4-5 levels.