First Children Encyclopedia

(Marvins-Underground-K-12) #1

154


Everything in the living world


needs food to survive. And


everything must feed on


something else. This is


called a food chain.


Each species is


part of several


different food


chains.


Food chains

What carnivorous plant can catch and eat mice and rats?


Producers
Plants such
as acacia trees
or grasses get their
energy from the Sun
and nutrients from
the soil. They are
known as producers.

Herbivores
Herbivores such as
impala or zebra eat
the plants. They do
not eat meat.

Decomposers
At the start and end
of every food chain
there are decomposers,
such as earthworms,
fungi, and dung
beetles. They help
break down dead
animals and plants,
releasing the nutrients
back into the soil.

The living world

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