Definition

1. Noun:
   • (Ecology) A community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains: A "food web" is a complex network of interconnected food chains that shows the feeding relationships and energy flow between different species in an ecosystem. It illustrates how organisms are related by what they eat and what eats them.

Usage

• The term "food web" is used primarily in scientific contexts, especially in ecology and biology, to describe and analyze the structure of ecosystems.
• It is a countable noun (e.g., , ).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The health of the coral reef depends on a delicate food web.
  • Scientists are studying how pollution disrupts the local food web.
  • A simple diagram can illustrate the basic principles of a food web.

Advanced Usage

• "To disrupt/alter a food web": To cause changes that break or significantly change the feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
  • The introduction of an invasive species can severely disrupt the existing food web.
• "Complex/intricate food web": Used to emphasize the many interconnected relationships within an ecosystem.
  • The rainforest supports an incredibly intricate food web.

Variants and Related Words

• Food chain (n): A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another. A food web consists of many interconnected food chains.
  • The algae → small fish → large fish sequence is a simple food chain within the larger ocean food web.

Synonyms

• Trophic web: A more technical synonym often used in scientific literature.
• Consumer-resource system: A broader term describing the interactions between consumers and their resources, which a food web maps.

Related Concepts (Not Phrasal Verbs or Idioms)

• Energy flow: The movement of energy through a food web from producers to consumers.
• Trophic level: The position an organism occupies in a food web (e.g., producer, primary consumer, apex predator).

Noun

1. (ecology) a community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains