Food Web Balance© Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4451Visit www.newpathlearning.com for Online Learning Resources.1st-levelconsumers2nd-levelconsumersTop-levelconsumersProducersBalanced EcosystemWithout as many seals and sea lions to eat, killer whales might start feeding on more sea otters, causing a decline in their populations. If the population of seals and sea lions dramatically decreased, what impact would it have on this food web?If the population size of a species changes within an ecosystem, the balance of the food web can be disrupted. Over time, all levels of the food web can be affected. This food web shows the feeding relationships of organisms in an Alaskan marine ecosystem. orca (killer whale)orca (killer whale)seals/ sea lionsseals/ sea lionssea otterssea otterssea urchinssea urchinssmall fishsmall fishkrill/zooplanktonkrill/zooplanktonphytoplankton/diatomsphytoplankton/diatomskelp forestkelp forestWith fewer otters as predators, the number of sea urchins would grow and eat more of the kelp forests. The kelp forests are the habitatlarvae. Loss of this habitat would cause a declineThis example demonstrates that the original change in the population of the seals and sea lions could cause a chain reaction of events that would alter the balance of the food web.Balanced EcosyyyyyssssssssssssttttttttttttteeeeeeeeeeemmmWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWiiiiiiiittthhhhhhhhoooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuut ass mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ssssseals annnnnnd sea lions to eat, killer whhhhhhhhhhhhalllllles mmmmmmmmmmmiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhtttt sssssssssssttttttttaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrttttttttt fffffffffffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddddddddddddiiiiing on more sea otters, cccausingggggggggg aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ddddddddddddddddddecccccccllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeee iiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnn tttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheir populations. If the population of seals and sea lions dramatically decreased, what impact would it have on this it have on this fdbfood web??If the population size of a species changes within an ecosystem, the balance of the food web can be disrupted. Over time, all levels of the food web can be affected. This food web shows the feeding relationships of organisms in an Alaskan marine ecosystem. ()orca (killer whale)()ooooooooooorrrrrca (kkkkkkkiiiiiillllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrr wwhhhhaaaaaaaaaallllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeee)))))))))seals/ sea lionsssssssssssssseeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllsssssssss////// sssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaa lllllionnnnnnsssssssssssseeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaa oooooooottttttttttttttttttttttttttersssssssssssseeeeeeeeeea otttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttteeeeeerssssea uuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrccccchhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiinnnssea urchinsssssssssssmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllll fififififififififififissshssmall fifififififissssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhkrill/zooplanktonkkkkkkkkkkkrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiilllllllllllllll/////////zzzzzzzzzzzzzzoooooooooooooooooooooooooopppppppppppppllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnkkkkkkkkkktttttttonphytoplankton/diatomsphytoppppppplllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnkkkkkkkton/////////////ddddddddddddddddiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttttoooooooooomskelp forestkelp forestWith fewer otters as predators, the number of sea urchins would grow and eat more of the kelp forests. The kelp forests are the habitatlarvae. Loss of this habitat would cause a declineThis example demonstrates that the original change in the population of the seals and sea lions could cause a chain reaction of events that would alter the balance of the food web.
< Page 9 | Page 11 >