Energy transfer through food webs
Only about a tenth of the energy at one level reaches the next. That single figure explains why top predators are rare.
Part of your national curriculum
- Biology: interactions and interdependencies: Understand the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem, including food webs and insect pollinated crops
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Construct and interpret food chains and webs
Key learning points
- • Trophic levels
- • Reading a web
This lesson at a glance
- 25 minutes
- 12 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 12
Visual introductionPicture this
Energy transfer through food webs
Only about a tenth of the energy at one level reaches the next. That single figure explains why top predators are rare.
In a nutshell
Construct and interpret food chains and webs
Explore the idea
Part 2 of 12
Learn
Trophic levels
Producers capture light energy. Each consumer level loses energy to movement, heat and waste, so biomass falls sharply as you go up.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 12
Learn
Reading a web
Arrows point in the direction energy travels — from the eaten to the eater. A web shows alternatives a chain hides.
Reset break
Part 4 of 12
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 3 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 5 of 12
Quick check
Part 6 of 12
Quick check
Part 7 of 12
Reset break
Part 8 of 12
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 3 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 9 of 12
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 10 of 12
Game · Recall cards
An arrow in a food chain points…
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 11 of 12
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Energy transfer through food webs
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. An arrow in a food chain points…
2. Roughly how much energy passes to the next trophic level?
3. Removing a top predator most likely…
4. Roughly how much energy passes to the next level?
Lesson round-up
Part 12 of 12
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Games
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Points this lesson
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Best run
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Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 12 · Watch & discover
How this is going
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Understand the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem, including food webs and insect pollinated crops