Food chains (GFC, DFC) and food webखाद्य शृंखलाएँ (GFC, DFC) व खाद्य जाल
NCERT Section 12.4 · Class 12 Biology · Chapter 12 · interactive diagram
Parts and their functions
- Grazing food chain (GFC) (चारण खाद्य शृंखला (GFC)) — Starts from living green plants: grass (producer) → goat (primary consumer) → man (secondary consumer). In aquatic ecosystems GFC is the major conduit for energy flow.
- Grass — producer (घास — उत्पादक) — First trophic level of this chain.
- Goat — primary consumer (बकरी — प्राथमिक उपभोक्ता) — A herbivore that eats the producer.
- Man — secondary consumer (मनुष्य — द्वितीयक उपभोक्ता) — Eats the herbivore in this chain.
- Detritus food chain (DFC) (अपरद खाद्य शृंखला (DFC)) — Begins with dead organic matter. In terrestrial ecosystems a much larger fraction of energy flows through the DFC than through the GFC.
- Dead organic matter (detritus) (मृत कार्बनिक पदार्थ (अपरद)) — Death of an organism is the beginning of the detritus food chain/web.
- Decomposers (saprotrophs) (अपघटक (मृतजीवी)) — Heterotrophs, mainly fungi and bacteria. They secrete digestive enzymes that break dead matter into simple inorganic materials, then absorb them.
- Food web (खाद्य जाल) — Natural interconnection of food chains. DFC and GFC are linked: some DFC organisms are prey of GFC animals; omnivores like cockroaches and crows join many chains.
- Grass (producer) (घास (उत्पादक)) — Food for several herbivores — the base of the web.
- Grasshopper (herbivore) (टिड्डा (शाकाहारी)) — Primary consumer; eaten by frogs, birds and crows.
- Rabbit (herbivore) (खरगोश (शाकाहारी)) — Primary consumer.
- Frog (carnivore) (मेंढक (मांसाहारी)) — Secondary consumer — eats insects.
- Bird (carnivore) (पक्षी (मांसाहारी)) — Secondary consumer when it eats insects.
- Snake (साँप) — Eats frogs — a higher-level carnivore.
- Crow (omnivore) (कौआ (सर्वाहारी)) — Eats both plant food (seeds) and animals (insects) — NCERT’s example of an omnivore that links chains.
- Hawk (top carnivore) (बाज़ (शीर्ष मांसाहारी)) — Eats snakes, birds and rabbits — gets energy through many chains.
Original diagram drawn by Simple Learning Hub, based on NCERT Section 12.4. Report a mistake