Premium Essay

Food Chain

In:

Submitted By NaraKor
Words 321
Pages 2
Food chain
A food chain can be thought of as a transfer of food from trophic level to trophic level (fig. 49.1). Food chains rarely are unbranched since several different primary consumers may feed on the same plant species and a primary consumer may eat several species of plants. The feeding relationships are usually woven into elaborate food webs within an ecosystem.

Ecological Pyramids
1. A pyramid of productivity has trophic levels stacked in blocks proportional in size to the energy acquired from the level below. Food chains are usually bottom heavy since only 10% of energy is transferred.

2. A biomass pyramid has each tier symbolising the total dry weight of all organisms in an ecosystem's levels at any given time. Biomass represents chemical energy stored in the organic matter of a trophic level. Most narrow sharply from producers at the base to top-level carnivores at the top. Some aquatic systems are inverted since producers can have high turnover rates. They grow rapidly but are consumed rapidly, leaving little standing biomass. Biomass of top-level carnivores is usually small compared to the total biomass of producers and lower-level consumers.

Food chains are limited to 3-5 links due to the multiplicative loss of energy. This also limits the biomass of top-level carnivores that can be supported. Only about 1/1000 of the chemical energy fixed by photosynthesis flows through a food web to a tertiary consumer, only 3 -5 trophic levels can be supported since biomass at the apex is insufficient to support another level. The fact that top-level consumer biomass is concentrated in a small number of individuals can be reflected in a pyramid of numbers where each tier represents the number of organisms at each trophic level. Predators (top-level consumers) are highly susceptible to extinction when their ecosystem is disturbed due to their small

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Food Chain

...live is called food. Food contains energy. The food (or energy) can be transferred from one organism to the other through food chains. The starting point of a food chain is a category of organisms called producers. Producers are, in fact, plants. So, we can say that all the food chains begin with a green plant (or grass) which is the original source of all food. Let us take an example to understand the meaning of food chain. Suppose there is a field having a lot of green plants (or producers of food). Now, plants can be eaten up by a rat. The rat, in turn, can be eaten up by a cat. And finally, the cat can be eaten up by a dog. So, we find that there is a sequence (or order) in which one organism eats up the other organism (or consumes the other organism) to fill its belly. The sequence of living organisms in a community, in which one organism consumes another organism to transfer food energy, is called a food chain. In simple words, a list of organisms (living beings) showing "who eats whom" is called a food chain. Let us make this point more clearly by taking the example of a simple food chain operating in a grassland or forest. In a grassland or forest, there is a lot of grass (which are green plants). This grass is eaten up by animals like deer. And this deer is then consumed (eaten up) by a lion. This simple food chain operating in a grassland or forest can be represented as: Grass --> Deer -->Lion (Producer) (Herbivore) (Carnivore) This food chain tells us that...

Words: 1154 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Fast Food Chains

...Bose, Debopriya. (2012.) Advantages and disadvantages of Fast Food. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-fast-food.html There are 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants just in America alone, along with 8,000 KFC’s in 80 countries. The biggest disadvantage is the tremendous effect on one’s health. In this article Debopriya talks about how in the fast food industries use a lot of sugars, salts, oil, fried meat, cheese, mayonnaise, and clearly they use calories. It may contain harmful bacteria that can make someone really sick. Most Americans consume more calories than that use and that contributes to complications such as cardiovascular disease and other heart diseases. When you fry food it destroys most of the essential nutrients from the food. She also talks about how it can split families apart; she states that since the fast food industry started becoming popular many individuals started going to eat there instead of the traditional family dinner. It can also be very expensive, although it is cheap if you go by yourself it isn’t the same as if you buy it in bulk; It can be a quite an expensive affair. She mentions that people who live within walking distance from a fast food joint are 13% higher risk of suffering from stroke than those who live a considerable distance away. Obesity is a huge problem in America; a bond is formed between fast food and obesity in children. Many problems that you can receive from obesity is high blood pressure...

Words: 862 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Food Chain Bioaccumulation

...Position in Food chain. Another significant determinant of bioaccumulation if the position that an organism dwell in a food. Any variation of the food chain that improved the number of trophic levels was anticipated to increase bioaccumulation in top carnivores due to biomagnification happening at the respective step. Even though the position in the food chain is evidently significant to bioaccumulation, its effect is not continuously upfront for the reason that there is no continual rise in contaminant loads as one come up trophic levels in a food chain (Suedel et al., 1994). Certainly, it is not infrequent to find the maximum intensities of concentrations of contaminants at intermediary or even at lower trophic levels that is dependent on...

Words: 1254 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Fast Food Chain

...Submitted to: Report 11 March, 2014 Innovative Research & Consultancy Ltd. Kazi Food Limited Kazi Food Limited is a company under the Kazi Farms Group. Kazi firms limited was established in 1996 and as of today they are the largest player of poultry industry of Bangladesh. There are 20 different company under the Kazi Farms Group banner (source: www.kazifarms.com). The group is operating in almost all sectors of the industry. They got breeding farms, hatcheries and feed miles. Having a solid ground in this industry Kazi Farms is now planning to mark their footstep in another related industry through Kazi Food Limited, that is the “Fast Food” industry. Kazi Foods believe that they got the knowhow and logistic strength to run the business. But prior to that they felt the need to understand the pulse from consumer end. It is very wise to get the insights prior to kick off. In this regards Kazi Food Limited commissioned Innovative Research & Consultancy (IRC) Limited to conduct the study. IRC Ltd. is proud to be the knowledge partner. Specific objectives for this study was –  To identify the TG and their profile  To check the concept of outlet type  To explore the expectation  To find the triggering factors  To identify the location preference 3 4 Research Design This study was an ad-hoc, cross-sectional research and quantitative in nature. This approach collects data from cross section of consumers. Primary data collection were done through face to face interview...

Words: 3277 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Organic Food Chain In Omnivore's Dilemma

...the novel the Omnivore’s Dilemma by MIchael Pollan the industrial organic food chain is the best to feed the entire United States. The industrial organic food chain is a food chain similar to the industrial food chain but there are toxic chemicals and it’s much healthier. There are no chemicals and the animals are treated better. While many americans love sweets it’s okay to have some here and there but it is highly crucial that most of the time your diet and health is priority. The first reason that organic food is the best to feed America is that there are no harsh chemicals used in the food. The text states, “The organic food in stores like Whole Foods is organic because it’s grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides”(114). Having food without chemicals is not only better for the environment but it’s also better for the people eating food because toxic chemicals harm the body. Another example shows that organic food is the number one way to prevent additives in our food. The...

Words: 664 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Fast Food Chain (Research)

...FOOD RESEARCH BSU-SC Students Affordability in Fast food Chain Group 4 (Vivacious) Cabarles , Mia Fritz Domagco ,Chariz Buenaventura, Khernylie Ilahi ,Zarah Jane Parocha ,Thryzze Abby Amabao , Mary Jane Cal ,Jeruence Paul Rabadon , Ezekiel Balino, Leah Peña, Jamaica Introduction Food define as a material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy such food together with supplementary substances (as minerals, vitamins, and condiments) For our research we focus on a fast food restaurant, also known as a quick service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant characterized both by its fast food cuisine and by minimal table service. Food served in fast food restaurants typically caters to a "meat-sweet diet" and is offered from a limited menu; is cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot; is finished and packaged to order; and is usually available ready to take away, though seating may be provided. Fast food restaurants are typically part of a restaurant chain or franchise operation, which provisions standardized ingredients and/or partially prepared foods and supplies to each restaurant through controlled supply channels (UrbanDictionary.com.ph).  The world economy has become fast-paced, and this has forced people to transform their lifestyle in order to adapt to the changing pace. Family structures have evolved drastically...

Words: 2476 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

A Visit to the Fast Food Chain

...A Visit to the Fast Food Chain I took a recent visit to the McDonald’s in Southern Pines, NC, for lunch. Before I went in I observed the building, it is white with a red roofing and it has a Golden Arch at the top in the shape of the letter M. There was a long line of cars circling around the building ordering at the drive-thru and paying for and picking up their food from the two service windows. There was a colorful play center that is gated and attached outside in front of the building with red eating tables made for the children and their families if they wish to play or sit outside and eat their food. As I entered the restaurant, it was a very busy and friendly environment. It was very crowded with customers at that time though, it seemed like every one decided to take a lunch break. There were three lines of patient and impatient customers waiting to order their food. The environment in the restaurant was very bright on the inside with bright lights and small little dining tables and booths for the customers to sit in and dine. The cleanliness of the restaurant was very impressive and the aroma of the place smelled of french fries, burgers, and the buns. Some of the customers chose to get their food to go. The workers were dressed very neatly in their red-collared shirts with name tags and their black hats and black dress pants. The managers were dressed nice as well in their white collared shirts with their name tags, red neck ties, and blue dress pants. They interacted...

Words: 865 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Value Chain of Fast Food Industry

...Value China Considering the environment of fast food industry, here are lists of activities, as shown in following tables, which were believed to be significant to fast food entity in creating its particular value. Our analysis is based on Michael Eugene Porter’s value chain. Primary activities Inbound logistic | Activities | Description | Management | | Ingredient acquisition | The main material for food & beverage industry is ingredient | Supplier selection: Based on the cost & quality to select supplier; build a good relationship with supplier | | Site preparation and decoration | Design a fantastic location and decoration can attract consumer;Entity shall design how far between branches | Apply production strategy, such as use just in time to reduce carrying cost | | Cooking tools and dining utensils purchasing | Using handy equipment for fast cooking; Choosing one-time cutlery as well as packing | Adopt disposable cutlery to save more time in cleaning | Operation | Processing ingredient & cooking | this is the important element to translate ingredient to cuisine and dish | Control the time of queue, Avoiding consumer wait in long time | | Ordering | Taking the order from customers | | | Site cleaning | Prepare an available table for consumers | | | Environment creating | Build a convenience and comfortable dinning environment. It is need not to overbuilding or too sumptuous for fast food restaurant | Select relaxing music in order to...

Words: 598 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Staple Food Value Chain Analysis

...STAPLE FOODS VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS COUNTRY REPORT - MALAWI November 2009 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Chemonics International Inc. The author‘s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ACE AGRA AISP ADMARC CISANET CPL CHDI COMESA COMPETE EAC FEWSNET FNSJTF GAC GMAC GOM GTPA ICRISAT MACE MBS MoAFS MoIT MRA NASFAM NEPAD NFRA NPQS NSO SMIP SPS SABI SADC SFRFFM USAID VCA WFP WRS Agriculture Commodity Exchange for Africa Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa Agriculture Input Subsidy Program Agriculture Development and Marketing Board Civil Society for Agriculture Network Chibuku Products Ltd. Clinton Hunger Development Initiative Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Competitiveness and Trade Expansion Programme East African Community Famine Early Warning System Network Food Nutrition and Security Joint Task Force Group Action Committee Grain Marketing Advisory Council Government of Malawi Grain Traders and Processors Association International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Malawi Agricultural Commodity Exchange Malawi Bureau of Standards Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Ministry of Industry and Trade Malawi Revenue Authority National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi New Partnership for...

Words: 50613 - Pages: 203

Premium Essay

Global and Domestic Issues in the Food Supply Chain

...Issues in the Food Supply Chain (Source: Roger W. Hutt, Arizona State University) High-value and processed foods, accounting for three-fourths of total world food sales have increased in response to consumers diversifying their diets or demanding higher-quality and labor-saving food products (Regmi and Gehlhar, 2005). More and more, consumers are asking for convenience, and the food system is responding. The relatively higher cost of a ready-to-serve bag of salad is preferable to a head of lettuce that must be trimmed and prepared. Demand for foreign brands and consumer-ready products, in particular, are expanding as well. Food producers and marketers are responding to the demands of the marketplace. Producers are investing in processing facilities in many host companies. Adjusting to meet the needs of consumers, retailers are importing high-value foods from around the world and selling it from a variety of retail store formats, with supermarkets and hypermarkets accounting for more than fifty-percent of global packaged food sales in 2003 (U. S. Department of Agriculture, Global Food Industry Structure, 2007). Globalization and safety and defense of the nation’s food system are themes very much intertwined in the literature. As Cheek (2006) pointed out, “Today, global consumers are demanding a source-verified and disease-free food supply. . . Changing consumer attitudes have resulted in demands for greater food safety on the retail market.” Food safety describes...

Words: 1874 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Food Supply Chain Management Case Study

...Issues in Food Supply Chain Management Managing food supply chain is a difficult takes because this sector involves a diverse range of distinct stake holders such as farmers, commission agent, processor and distributers. Further, unlike developed countries Indian agriculture is far more complex and difficult to manage because of its unorganised nature (Parwez 2014). While in present day farmers are demanding better price for their produce and consumers are willing to pay reasonable price. Therefore, to solve this problem we need to understand the issues involved in this process as explained in below. I) Market Information Sharing of market information among supply members is a complex issue in food supply chain as there are many stake holders...

Words: 1290 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Mcdonalds Fast Food Chain Malaysia

...Unit 1 McDonald’s is the world’s largest fast food chain that is originated in California, USA. Ray Kroc became a franchisee of the McDonald brothers (Dick and Mac) and began opening new restaurants, buying all the rights to the McDonald's concept in 1961 for $2.7 million. McDonald’s Corporation give the franchise to Golden Arches Restaurant Sdn Bhd to operate McDonald’s restaurants in Malaysia and the first outlet was opened in April 1982 at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. McDonalds mission is “To be our customers' favourite place and way to eat” and their vision is to be the world's best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile. The operations in McDonald’s Malaysia are affected with the government regulation on the regulation of fast food operation. As a certified fast food operator, there are many regulations and procedures that McDonalds should follow. For example is the Halal certification that becomes a concern to Muslim consumers. McDonalds protect its integrity and consumer confidence by ensuring all materials and process are as claimed or must followed. The economic condition and growth of the country also is an important indicator to the demand of products that McDonalds offered. As the food priced slightly above normal foods, not many people will have the income range to consume the products. McDonalds faced government...

Words: 4509 - Pages: 19

Premium Essay

Compare and Contrast Popular Fried Chicken Food Chains

...Home Work #1: Compare and Contrast Popular Fried Chicken Fast Food Chains. When researching to see the types of social media each of the fried chicken fast food chains utilize, I noticed that the five chains all used Facebook, and twitter to communicate with their customers. The second most commonly used social media outlet is Instagram. For the exception of Chick-fil-a and Popeyes, Instagram is used by the fast-food chains to show their customers photos of new products being released and the types of food they serve. Chick-fil-a, KFC, Popeyes, and Bojangles all use YouTube to interact with their customers. They show commercials and interactions with their customers. Lastly, Bojangles is the only fast food chain to use Pinterest as a part of their social media. Chick-fil-a website offers information about their menu, online food orders, about the company and applying, press releases, a meal calculator to calculate your calorie in-take, how they utilize their Cow mascot, meals for children and family activities/ tips, the locations where you can find Chick-fil-a, Frequently Asked Questions, and Social media outlets. KFC’s website offers information about their menu, social media interactions, catering/ online food orders, coupons, press releases, their foundation, history, privacy policies, their nutritional information, you can also change the information to be changed to Spanish, which is an indication that they have a large market of Spanish speakers. Popeyes offers...

Words: 610 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Management of Food Chain

...As we all know, Globalization is the process of rapid integration of countries and happening through greater foreign trade and foreign investment. Along with the globalization process accelerating, more and more companies are not satisfied in only expanding the domestic market, so they begin to have their eyes on international marketplace. In the more mature markets of the industrialized world, there are also many opportunities and challenges as consumers’ taste become more sophisticated and complex, and as increased purchasing power provide them with the means of satisfying new demands. The world is one big market for companies to take advantage of. There must be marketers in each country that will help the company meet the needs and expectations of all the countries in which they sell their products. A good example of a successful global marketing company is the Coca-Cola Corporation. The soda beverage remains the same, but the can changes. The advertisements are different in each country. Instead of being intolerant to the needs of each country, they have translated their logo and brand name to suit the needs of each country in which they market. The goal of global marketing is to become like the Coca-Cola Corporation and sell the same product to everyone in the world, with perhaps just one or two small changes to the product that will suit the needs of everyone in the world.  There are four simple steps a company must establish to start global marketing. First, a company...

Words: 820 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility in the Supply Chain: an Application in the Food Industry

...Corporate Social Responsibility in the Supply Chain: An Application in the Food Industry Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 68, No. 1 (Sep., 2006) Michael J. Maloni and Michael E. Brown 1.Rezumatul Articolului Lucrarea redactată în anul 2006 detaliază practicile Responsabilității Sociale Corporative aplicate în cazul supply-chainului din industria alimentară a Statelor Unite ale Americii. Printre aspectele cercetate se numără bunăstarea animalelor, biotehnologia, mediul înconjurător, politica corecta de prețuri, metodele de achiziție, sănătatea și siguranța consumatorilor dar și drepturile omului și ale forței de muncă. Ca și metode de cercetare autorii au folosit analiza și sinteza. Termenul de Responsabilitate Socială Corporativă (CSR) se bazează pe ideea că o corporație implică în activitatea sa mai multe părți cum ar fi : clienții, angajații, comunitățile guvernamentale, organizațiile non-guvernamentale, investitorii, membrii ai lanțului de aprovizionare, sindicatele, autoritățile de reglementare și mass-media. Responsabilitatea Socială Corporativă nu incorporează numai etica de afaceri, ci include caritatea, comunitatea, diversitatea locului de muncă, siguranța și mediul înconjurător. Odată cu demascarea anumitor nereguli în etica corporatistă, atât consumatorii cât și organizațiile guvernamentale și-au îndreptat atenția către practicile Responsabilității Sociale Corporative. Industria Alimentară a S.U.A. este expusă atenției publice nu numai datorită faptului...

Words: 3096 - Pages: 13