Food Chain

nature · energy · animals · ecosystems

Plants start it all. Plants are called producers because they make their own food using sunlight. Every food chain begins with a plant, which captures the sun's energy.

Herbivores eat plants. Animals that eat only plants, like caterpillars or deer, are called consumers. They're the second link in the food chain.

Predators eat consumers. Carnivores like hawks or lions hunt and eat the plant-eaters. Each level of eaters depends on the level below it.

Energy moves up the chain. When one animal eats another, energy passes from one to the next. But each animal only passes about 10% of its energy to the next level.

Decomposers close the loop. When plants and animals die, decomposers like fungi and bacteria break them down and return nutrients to the soil, starting the cycle over.