A complex network of interconnected food chains showing how energy and nutrients flow through an ecosystem. Food webs illustrate the multiple feeding relationships between different species in a community.
Compound term from 'food' (Old English 'foda') and 'web' (Old English 'webb' meaning woven fabric). The ecological concept was developed in the early 20th century, with Charles Elton pioneering the idea of interconnected feeding relationships in the 1920s.
Food webs reveal that ecosystems are like intricate tapestries where removing one species can unravel the whole system! For example, when wolves were removed from Yellowstone, deer overpopulated, trees declined, rivers changed course, and even songbird populations shifted.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.