In ecosystems, such as parks and forests, energy flows through food chains.

The food chain begins at the level of the producer. Producers are green plants that create energy from sunlight in photosynthesis. They store this energy in the form of sugar. When herbivorous animals, such as insects, eat the leaves of a green plant, they receive some of the energy created by it. When these animals are eaten by other predators, the energy created by the producers continues to travel from one organism to the next. Finally, when animals die, all of the nutrients and materials contained in their bodies are broken down and released back into the environment by decomposers. When this happens, the materials can be collected by plants, and the food chain starts from its beginning once again.

Familiarize yourself with the concept of the food chain by studying the interactive diagram below.

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The food chain.