Do food webs start with a producer?

A food web is a diagram that shows the feeding relationships between different species in an ecosystem. The arrows in a food web point from the prey to the predator. The species at the bottom of the food web are the producers, which are organisms that can make their own food from inorganic matter. The next level up in the food web are the primary consumers, which are organisms that eat plants. The secondary consumers are organisms that eat primary consumers, and so on. The top predators are at the top of the food web.

The number of links in a food web can vary. Some food webs may only have a few links, while others may have many. The complexity of a food web is often related to the diversity of the ecosystem. More diverse ecosystems typically have more complex food webs.

Food webs play an important role in ecosystems. They help to maintain the balance of species populations and recycle nutrients.