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A food web is the natural interconnection of food chains and a graphical representation of what-eats-what in an ecological community. Ecologists can broadly define all life forms as either autotrophs or heterotrophs, based on their trophic levels, the position that they occupy in the food web.
Decomposer. Decomposers are organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms; they carry out decomposition, a process possible by only certain kingdoms, such as fungi. [ 1] Like herbivores and predators, decomposers are heterotrophic, meaning that they use organic material to get their energy, carbon and nutrients for growth and development.
The mean chain length of an entire web is the arithmetic average of the lengths of all chains in the food web. [13] The food chain is an energy source diagram. The food chain begins with a producer, which is eaten by a primary consumer. The primary consumer may be eaten by a secondary consumer, which in turn may be consumed by a tertiary consumer.
Biodegradation is the naturally-occurring breakdown of materials by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi or other biological activity. [ 35] Composting is a human-driven process in which biodegradation occurs under a specific set of circumstances. [ 36] The predominant difference between the two is that one process is naturally-occurring ...
Saprotrophic nutrition / sæprəˈtrɒfɪk, - proʊ -/ [ 1] or lysotrophic nutrition[ 2][ 3] is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi (for example Mucor) and with soil bacteria.
The decomposition of food, either plant or animal, called spoilage in this context, is an important field of study within food science. Food decomposition can be slowed down by conservation. The spoilage of meat occurs, if the meat is untreated, in a matter of hours or days and results in the meat becoming unappetizing, poisonous or infectious.
Energy flow (ecology) A food pyramid and a corresponding food web, demonstrating some of the simpler patterns in a food web. A graphic representation of energy transfer between trophic layers in an ecosystem. Energy flow is the flow of energy through living things within an ecosystem. [ 1] All living organisms can be organized into producers ...
Decoupage or découpage ( / ˌdeɪkuːˈpɑːʒ /; [ 1] French: [dekupaʒ]) is the art of decorating an object by gluing colored paper cutouts onto it in combination with special paint effects, gold leaf, and other decorative elements. Commonly, an object like a small box or an item of furniture is covered by cutouts from magazines or from ...